Who is behind the assassination of the Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh?

Nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was one of the best-protected people in Iran. His assassination has cast a damming light over the country's security apparatus. Fakhrizadeh was killed on Friday in the outskirts of Tehran as attackers shot at his car, before detonating explosive-laden pickup truck just meters away. The incident marks the third massive failure by the Iranian government’s security apparatus, which regularly boasts of having everything in the country under control in less than a year. Up until Friday, it was nearly impossible to even find a picture of Fakhrizadeh online. Widely thought to have been the father of Iran's military nuclear program, he was one of the most well protected people in the country. Fakhrizadeh survived a similar assassination attempt in 2008, when motorcycle-riding attackers attached an explosive device to his car. He was able to jump to safety just before the vehicle exploded.

While Iran blames Israel for the assassination of the Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, it is important to mention a state that has been playing very low profile but may have a hand behind the assassination of Fakhrizadeh, and that would be Qatar. That is because two weeks before the assassination of Fakhrizadeh Qatari Chief of staff was at the Pentagon, to ensure the coordination with the United States and provide the logistical support for the operation in Iran. It might have been then, when both parties agreed for Qatar to play the diplomatic side with the Iranians after the operation to pacify Iran and prevent any reaction against America's interests in the Gulf. Later, the United States sent a B52 a week ago to Qatar at Al Udeid base after the Chief of Staff requested the Pentagon for guarantees.

Furthermore, Mossad agents in Tehran were able to steal some 55,000 pages of top-secret intelligence documents during the 2018 operation. The agents are believed to have used special cutting torches to open several safes in a storage facility to attain the documents. There is no way they could have known where to find the documents without inside help. The Mossad operation in Tehran was a humiliation for Iran's security apparatus, especially for those with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, a branch of the Iranian armed forces. The Guard, which was responsible for military protection of Iran's nuclear program, only recruits from within its ranks.

What makes Iran’s government questionable in this case is that: when he was attacked several bodyguards, indicating how seriously Iran took his security, accompanied Fakhrizadeh. So, the motive for the assassination, which no one has claimed responsibility for yet, would appear to have been political, rather than relating to Iran's nuclear activities. This leads us to two possible conclusions: one, to jeopardize potential improvements in relations between Iran and the new Biden administration in the United States and two: to encourage Iran to engage in a revengeful act. Moreover, when Rouhani was referring to Iran's "enemies" in his statements, he was basically evidently talking about the Trump administration, Israel and Qatar in particular. Both Israel and Qatar are worried about the changing tide of politics in the Middle East and its consequences for them once President-elect Joe Biden takes office. Israel and Saudi Arabia's concerns about Iran were reportedly discussed at what Israeli media said was a secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Neom last Sunday.

Following the assassination, Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has called for a "definite punishment" of those responsible for the assassination of Fakhrizadeh. The head of the Expediency Council, Mohsen Rezaei, has pointed to security and intelligence lapses. "Iranian intelligence agencies must detect infiltrators and sources of foreign spy services, and stop the formation of assassination teams," Indeed, many Iranians on social media have asked how, despite Iran's rhetoric about its military and intelligence superiority, someone so well guarded could be assassinated in broad daylight. There are also concerns that the killing will be used as an excuse for further arrests inside the country.

All that said, there can be several conclusions to who was behind the assassination of the Iranian Nuclear Scientist: one conclusion would be Iran itself, this could have been an internal political plan because considering the amount of security Iran provided for Fakhrizadeh, it shouldn’t have been that easy for him to be assassinated. A second conclusion is obviously Israel because of the operation in 2018 and the robbery of a huge number of documents related to the nuclear plan of Iran. A third conclusion would be Qatar based on their recent visits to the United States and their mysterious meetings.