Iran demands US pay compensation for slain nuclear scientists

An Iranian court decided to demand Washington over $4 billion in compensation to the families of nuclear scientists who were assassinated in recent years, AFP reports.

Iran has accused the United States, Israel, or both, of a series of killings targeting key figures, including the November 2020 assassination of top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

According to the report, The Iranian court on Thursday said “it is clear that the Zionist regime carried out the crimes” of killing the Iranian scientists.

Washington supports Israel “directly and indirectly” and so “the US is responsible for all actions, including assisting, supporting and carrying out terrorist acts against Iranian scientists,” the verdict added.

The 2015 nuclear deal with US gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear program to guarantee that Tehran could not develop a nuclear weapon – something it has always denied wanting to do.

But the US unilaterally withdrew from the Accord in 2018, and reimposed biting sanctions, prompting Iran to begin rolling back on its own commitments.

READ: A long trail of assassinations in Iran fuel hostilities with Israel