Iran: Local media says chief nuclear scientist shot with remote-controlled machine gun made in Israel
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Fakhrizadeh was for long suspected to be at the helm a secret nuclear weapons programme for Iran by the West and Israel
Iran's local media said on Monday that the country's chief nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated last week, was actually killed by a machine gun operated by a remote control that was made in Israel, the Islamic Republic's longtime enemy, according to the semi-official Fars News.
Meanwhile, the Arabic language Al Alam TV reported that the weapons used in Fakhrizadeh's killing were "controlled by satellite".
"The weapon collected from the site of the terrorist act (where Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was assassinated) bears the logo and specifications of the Israeli military industry," an unnamed source told Press TV.
Speaking before the Press TV report, Israeli intelligence minister Eli Cohen told radio station 103 FM on Monday that he did not know who was responsible.
Fakhrizadeh was for long suspected to be at the helm a secret nuclear weapons programme for Iran by the West and Israel.
On Friday, he was gunned down in his car after a group of assailants ambushed him. Top leaders in Iran have repeatedly blamed Israel for the killing. Iran has blamed Israel for a series of murders of Israeli scientists since 2010.
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged 'punishing' those who were behind Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's killing. Fakhrizadeh was a top nuclear scientist in Iran and was assassinated on Friday. Khamenei added that Fkhrizadeh's work must be taken forward.
Khamenei called for "following up on this crime and certainly punishing the perpetrators and those responsible, and ... continuing the scientific and technical efforts of this martyr in all of the fields he was working in". His statement was published on his official website.
Khamenei called Mohsen Fakhrizadeh a "prestigious nuclear and defence scientist" and said he was "martyred by the hands of criminal and cruel mercenaries".
"This unparalleled scientist gave his dear and valuable life to God because of his great and lasting scientific efforts, and the high prize of martyrdom is his divine reward," he added.
Turkey on Sunday condemned the killing of top Iranian nuclear scientist as an act of "terrorism".
"We regret the death of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh following an armed attack. We condemn this heinous murder and offer our condolences to the Iranian government and the dead man's relatives," Ankara's foreign ministry said in a statement.
The statement further said that Turkey was against all forms of terrorism irrespective of who the perpetrators were.
"Turkey is against all initiatives aimed at disrupting peace in the region and against all forms of terrorism, no matter who their perpetrator or target are."
Ankara also urged "all parties to act with common sense and restraint".
Fakhrizadeh, 59, was killed on Friday in a car bomb and gun attack against his own vehicle, the Iranian defence ministry said.