An Iranian senior missile engineer died in southern Iran several days ago, according to a report by an Iranian dissident group published on Saturday night.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps engineer Said Thamardar Mutlak was described in alleged funeral announcements shared by the National Iranian Congress as having been made a shahid (martyr) and murdered in Shiraz. The report stated that Iranian authorities did not want news of the death to be published, and that Mutlak’s family had been threatened not to share the news.
Did Iran hint to alleged assassination?
“Cowardly assassination of heroes of our scientific prowess didn’t help behind-the-curtain terrorists to achieve their goals,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani wrote online on Saturday night, although it was unclear if he was responding to specific assassinations or remarking on the ongoing discussions over the JCPOA nuclear deal.
“Peaceful nuclear industry of Iran owes its flourishing to [Dariush] Rezaeinejad & his fellows,” he continued. “Their blood & scientific accomplishments will be safeguarded.”
In July 2011, nuclear scientist Rezaeinejad was shot dead by gunmen in Tehran.
Israeli spy network caught?
On Saturday, Iranian state-owned Tasnim News reported that an Israeli spy network operating in Iran was captured by IRGC intelligence.
The network, which was allegedly in direct contact with the Mossad, was said to have planned to carry out “unprecedented acts of sabotage and terrorist operations” in Iran, the report claimed.