soleimani was killed. this time, as with the earlier killing, the question is how will iran respond. it comes at a very significant, delicate moment with only weeks left in the administration of president donald trump. we already know president elect joe biden has talked about rejoining the iran nuclear deal that president trump pulled out of in 2018. this move is being seen not just as an effort to strike a blow against iran s nuclear programme. iran emphasises it does not have a nuclear weapons programme. but mohsen fakhrizadeh for years now, particularly by israeli and american intelligence, was regarded as associated with the covert programme. and this kind of assassination, and we don t know yet who carried it out, but this kind of move could possibly complicate the efforts of the new us administration to try to open a new chapter
let s get the background all this with our security correspondent, gordon carrera. the scene of an ambush. the highway where gunmen targeted a vehicle carrying one of the most important figures in iran s nuclear programme. mohsen fakhrizadeh was a scientist and senior defence official. but western intelligence services have long believed he was the driving force in iran s quest for a nuclear bomb. iran has always said its nuclear programme was peaceful but it s been claimed fakhrizadeh was leading work on project amad to develop a weapon. in 2018, he was singled out by israel s prime minister. this is how dr mohsen fakhrizadeh put it remember that name, mohsen fakhrizadeh. so here he is, right here. and he says, the general aim is to announce the closure of project amad.
of president donald trump. we already know president elect joe biden has talked about rejoining the iran nuclear deal that president trump pulled out of in 2018. this move is being seen not just as an effort to strike a blow against iran s nuclear programme. iran emphasises it does not have a nuclear weapons programme. but mohsen fakhrizadeh for years now, particularly by israeli and american intelligence, was regarded as associated with the covert programme. and this kind of assassination, and we don t know yet who carried it out, but this kind of move could possibly complicate the efforts of the new us administration to try to open a new chapter with iran, as difficult as that was going to be without this assassination. henry rome is a senior
with iran, as difficult as that was going to be without this assassination. let s speak to michael 0 hanlon senior fellow at the brookings institution. he specialises in defense and foreign policy issues thank you forjoining us. was this scientist indispensable to iran s ambitions? no, iam iran s ambitions? no, i am afraid not. iran s ambitions? no, iam afraid not. i iran s ambitions? no, i am afraid not. i think at this point the iranian nuclear capability is reasonably well developed and what we know about the nuclear bomb after 75 yea rs of its about the nuclear bomb after 75 years of its existence, it is not that complicated. you basically need to fashion a device with plutonium and iran already has the infrastructure to do that. to say he is indispensable is an overstatement and anybody who
it comes at a very significant, very delicate moment, only weeks left in the administration of donald trump. we already know that president electjoe biden has talked about rejoining the iran nuclear deal that mr trump pulled out of in 2018. this move is being seen not just as an effort to strike a blow against iran s nuclear programme a programme, it must be emphasised that iran has emphasised it does not have a nuclear programme. but mohsen fakhrizadeh, for years now, particularly by israeli and american intelligence, was regarded as associated with the covert programme. and this kind of an assassination we don t know yet who carried it out but this kind of move will possibly complicate the efforts of the new us administration to try to open a new chapter with iran as difficult as that was going to be even without this assassination.