Targeting Nuclear Scientists Used to Be Covert Ops. Israel Just Blew It Open

At least 14 nuclear scientists are supposed to be one of those who are killed in the Israel Operation Lion uprightLaunched on June 13, 2025, to destroy or degrade Iran’s nuclear program and military capacities.

Deliberately targeting scientists in this way aims to disturb The knowledge base of Iran and the continuity of nuclear expertise. Among these murderers were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchia theoretical physicist and head of the Iranian Azad Islamic University, and Fereydoun Abbasi-DavaniA nuclear engineer who directed the organization of Iranian atomic energy.

Collectively, these physics and engineering experts were potential successors at Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely considered as the architect of the Iranian nuclear program, who was murdered In an attack in November 2020, many blames about Israel.

As two policy scientists By writing a book on targeting scientists as a counter-proliferation tool, we understand that nuclear scientists have been targeted since the start of the nuclear era. We have collected data on nearly 100 cases of what we call “targeting of scientists” from 1944 to 2025.

The most recent assassination campaign against Iranian scientists is different from most of the previous episodes in a few key ways. The recent attack on Israel has targeted several nuclear experts and took place simultaneously with the military force to destroy Iran nuclear installationsair defenses and energy infrastructure. Unlike previous secret operations, Israel immediately claimed responsibility For assassinations.

But our research indicates that targeting Scientists may not be effective for counter-proliferation. Although the elimination of individual expertise can delay nuclear acquisition, it is unlikely that targeting alone is destroying a program and could even increase the desire of a country of nuclear weapons. In addition, the targeting of scientists can trigger a return return given the concerns concerning legality and morality.

A policy with a long history

The targeting of nuclear scientists began during the Second World War when the Allied and Soviet forces run to capture Nazi scientists degrade Adolf Hitler’s ability to build a nuclear bomb and use their expertise to advance American and Soviet nuclear programs.

In our data set, we classified “targeting” as cases in which scientists were captured, threatened, injured or killed while nations were trying to prevent adversaries from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Over time, at least four countries have targeted scientists working on nine national nuclear programs.

The United States and Israel would have led the most attacks on nuclear scientists. But the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union were also the source of such attacks.

Meanwhile, scientists working for Egyptian, Iranian and Iraqi nuclear programs have been the most frequent objectives since 1950. Since 2007 and before the current Israeli operation, 10 scientists involved in the Iranian nuclear program have been killed in attacks. The nationals of other countries were also targeted: in 1980, Mossad, the intelligence service of Israel, would have bombed the home of Italian engineer Mario Fiorelli and his business, Snia Techint, as Warning to Europeans Involved in the Iraqi nuclear project.

Given this story, the fact that Israel has attacked the Iranian nuclear program is not itself surprising. Indeed, it was a strategic objective of successive Israeli Prime Ministers to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and Experts warned The increased probability of an Israeli military operation since mid-2010, due to the regional dynamics and Iranian nuclear development.

At that time, the balance of powers in the Middle East had changed considerably. Israel has systematically degraded leadership and infrastructure for Iranian proxies Hamas And Hezbollah. He later destroyed The Iranian air defenses around Tehran and near key nuclear installations. The subsequent fall of the Assad diet in Syria Costing Tehran another longtime ally. Together, these developments have Considerably weaken Iranleaving him vulnerable to the external attack and stripped of Its proxy network formerly cededwhich was to retaliate in his name in case of hostilities.

With its degraded “resistance axis” proxy and degraded conventional military capacity, Iranian leaders may have thought that enlargement of its enrichment capacity was its best bet in the future.

And in the months preceding the recent attack on Israel, Iran has expanded its nuclear production capacity, Go beyond 60% uranium enrichmentA technical step just below the quality of weapons. During Donald Trump’s first term, the president withdrew the United States Based on a multilateral non-proliferation agreement aimed at braking Iran’s nuclear program. After being re -elected, Trump seemed to change By continuing a new diplomacy with Iran, but these talks have so far did not give an agreement – and could be suspended in the foreseeable future in the middle of the war.

More recently, the Council of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency declared Iran in non-conformity With its nuclear-noproliferation obligations. In response, Iran announced that it was Further expand its enrichment capacity By adding advanced centrifuge technology and a third enrichment site.

Even if the international community has anticipated the wider attack against Iran, the characteristics of targeting itself are surprising. Historically, states have secretly targeted scientists. But the recent multiple scientific attack occurred openly, Israel taking responsibility, publicly indicating the objective of the attacks. In addition, although it is not new for a country to use several counter-proliferation tools against an opponent over time, that Israel uses both preventive military force Against the infrastructure and targeting of scientists is both atypical.

In addition, these attacks on scientists are historically lower and at low cost, with death or injuries from armed men, car bombs or accidents. In fact, Abbasi – who was killed in the last attacks – survived a Beating in Tehran. However, there are aberrant values, including the Fakhrizadeh assassination, which included a remote machine gun Introduced as a smuggling in Iranian territory.

The logic of Israel to pursue scientists

Why target nuclear scientists?

In foreign policy, many tools are available if a state aims to prevent another state from acquiring nuclear weapons. In parallel to target scientists, there is sanctions,, diplomacy,, cyber attacks And military force.

The targeting of scientists can remove critical scientific expertise and impose costs that increase the difficulty of constituting nuclear weapons. Supporters argue that the targeting of these experts can undermine the efforts of a state, dissuade it from continuing nuclear developments and reporting to others the dangers of support for nuclear proliferation.

Countries that target scientists therefore believe that this is an effective way to degrade the nuclear program of an opponent. Indeed, Israeli defense forces described the most recent attacks as “an important blow for the capacity of the regime to acquire weapons of mass destruction”.

Despite the emphasis put by Israel on scientists as sources of critical knowledge, there may be Thousands of others Working in Iran, questioning the effectiveness of targeting them. In addition, there is Legal, ethical and moral concerns Too targeting scientists.

In addition, it is a risky option that may not disrupt an enemy nuclear program while arousing public indignation and calls for reprisals. This is particularly the case if scientists, often considered civilians, are raised as martyrs.

The targeting of campaigns can therefore strengthen domestic support for a government, which could then redouble efforts to nuclear development.

It doesn’t matter if targeting scientists is an effective counter -proliferation tool, it has existed since the start of the nuclear era – and will probably persist within the framework of the foreign policy toolbox for states aimed at preventing proliferation. In the case of the current Israeli conflict with Iran and its targeting of nuclear scientists, we expect the tactics to continue for the duration of the war and beyond.

Jenna JordanAssociate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology And Rachel WhitlarkAssociate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology. This article is republished from The conversation Under a creative communs license. Read it original article.