Iran hides surviving nuclear scientist: Telegraph

Defence affairs - Telegraph 

Def-Geopolitics 

Iran has sent its surviving nuclear scientists into deep hiding after Israel killed more than 30 researchers, The Telegraph can reveal.

Most are no longer living in their homes or teaching at universities, and have been moved to secure locations in Tehran or northern coastal cities, where they live in villas with their families, a senior Iranian official said.

The Telegraph has been shown the names of more than 15 of these surviving scientists, on a list of about 100 held by Israel, whom the Israelis say must now decide whether to continue their work and risk further strikes or find a new career.

“Most of them are no longer living in their houses – they are either moved to safe houses in Tehran or to the north,” the Iranian official said.

He added: “Those who were teaching at universities are replaced with people who have no connection with the nuclear programme.”

The move comes amid concern, fuelled by Israeli briefings, that further assassinations are in the offing and the execution, by Iran, of one of its own nuclear scientists this week.

Roozbeh Vadi had worked at one of the country’s most sensitive and important nuclear sites and was hanged on Wednesday over allegations he had facilitated the assassination of his colleagues during the 12-day war in June by passing information to Israel.

Israeli experts say a new generation of Iranian nuclear scientists now stand poised to take over the work of those already killed and have described them as “dead men walking”, despite the increased security that includes safe houses and round-the-clock protection.

They say Iran structured its nuclear research programme with each key player having at least one deputy, working in pods of two to three to ensure redundancy in case of attack.

Israeli sources fear some of the surviving scientists have replaced their dead colleagues at Iran’s nuclear weaponisation programme at the Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research, known by its Persian acronym, SPND. They are said to include scientists with expertise in explosives, neutron physics and warhead design.

Israeli intelligence and defence analyst, Ronen Solomon, told The Telegraph: “The figures who remain have worked on adapting Shahab-3 missiles for nuclear warheads, and are critical to Iran’s ability to deploy nuclear weapons.