Majid Shahriari
Encyclopedia
Majid Shahriari was a nuclear engineer
who worked with the Iranian Atomic Energy Commission.
He specialized in neutron transport
, a phenomenon that lies at the heart of nuclear chain reaction
s in reactor
s and bomb
s. According to The Guardian
, he "had no known links to banned nuclear work". According to Al Jazeera
he "was a quantum physicist and was not a political figure at all" and he "was not involved in Iran's nuclear programme".
According to Ars Technica , Majid Shahriari was the top scientist and senior manager of Iran's nuclear program.
Some Iranian media reports reports said he taught at the Supreme National Defense University, which is run by the Iranian Army, according to the New York Times. Shahriari published dozens of esoteric conference reports and peer-reviewed articles on nuclear research.
On 29 November 2010, unidentified assailants riding motorcycles launched separate bomb attacks, killing Shahriari and injuring nuclear scientist Fereydoon Abbasi
, a professor at Shahid Beheshti University
where Shahriari also taught. Dr. Abbasi's wife was also hurt. The killers had attached bombs to the professors' cars and detonated them from a distance.
Iranian officials have variously blamed Israel
and the United States
for assassinating Shahriari. Saeed Jalili
, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, was quoted as saying Western nations "exercise terrorism to liquidate Iran's nuclear scientists".
magazine ran an article questioning whether this action was perpetrated by Mossad
(Israeli's external intelligence service). According to The Daily Telegraph
(UK), Israel allegedly planned to conduct covert operations against Iran, including assassinations.
Nuclear engineering
Nuclear engineering is the branch of engineering concerned with the application of the breakdown as well as the fusion of atomic nuclei and/or the application of other sub-atomic physics, based on the principles of nuclear physics...
who worked with the Iranian Atomic Energy Commission.
He specialized in neutron transport
Neutron transport
Neutron transport is the study of the motions and interactions of neutrons with materials. Nuclear scientists and engineers often need to know where neutrons are in an apparatus, what direction they are going, and how quickly they are moving. It is commonly used to determine the behavior of nuclear...
, a phenomenon that lies at the heart of nuclear chain reaction
Nuclear chain reaction
A nuclear chain reaction occurs when one nuclear reaction causes an average of one or more nuclear reactions, thus leading to a self-propagating number of these reactions. The specific nuclear reaction may be the fission of heavy isotopes or the fusion of light isotopes...
s in reactor
Reactor
Reactor can mean:* Bioreactor, any device or system that supports a biologically active environment.* Chemical reactor, a device for containing and controlling a chemical reaction* Nuclear reactor, a device for containing and controlling a nuclear reaction...
s and bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
s. According to The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, he "had no known links to banned nuclear work". According to Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
he "was a quantum physicist and was not a political figure at all" and he "was not involved in Iran's nuclear programme".
According to Ars Technica , Majid Shahriari was the top scientist and senior manager of Iran's nuclear program.
Some Iranian media reports reports said he taught at the Supreme National Defense University, which is run by the Iranian Army, according to the New York Times. Shahriari published dozens of esoteric conference reports and peer-reviewed articles on nuclear research.
On 29 November 2010, unidentified assailants riding motorcycles launched separate bomb attacks, killing Shahriari and injuring nuclear scientist Fereydoon Abbasi
Fereydoon Abbasi
Fereydoon Abbasi-Davani is an Iranian nuclear scientist and current Vice President and Head of Atomic Energy Organization.-Academic and Early Career:...
, a professor at Shahid Beheshti University
Shahid Beheshti University
Shahid Beheshti University was formerly The National University of Iran . The university's name was changed during the cultural revolution in Iranian universities, 1980-82. It is located in Evin District and extends into Velenjak District in northwestern Tehran, Iran, on a main campus of...
where Shahriari also taught. Dr. Abbasi's wife was also hurt. The killers had attached bombs to the professors' cars and detonated them from a distance.
Iranian officials have variously blamed Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for assassinating Shahriari. Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili
Saeed Jalili, is an Iranian politician and the present secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council. On October 20, 2007, he replaced Ali Larijani as the secretary of the council and hence chief nuclear negotiator of Iran...
, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, was quoted as saying Western nations "exercise terrorism to liquidate Iran's nuclear scientists".
Allegations
TimeTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
magazine ran an article questioning whether this action was perpetrated by Mossad
Mossad
The Mossad , short for HaMossad leModi'in uleTafkidim Meyuchadim , is the national intelligence agency of Israel....
(Israeli's external intelligence service). According to The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
(UK), Israel allegedly planned to conduct covert operations against Iran, including assassinations.
See also
- Ardeshir HosseinpourArdeshir HosseinpourDr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour was an Iranian junior scientist, assistant professor, and authority on electromagnetism. He was also involved in the Iranian nuclear program. Hosseinpour died mysteriously in early 2007 during his nuclear work at Isfahan.-Career:...
- Masoud AlimohammadiMasoud AlimohammadiMasoud Alimohammadi was an Iranian quantum field theorist and elementary-particle physicist and a distinguished professor of elementary particle physics at Department of Physics of University of Tehran...
- Fereydoon AbbasiFereydoon AbbasiFereydoon Abbasi-Davani is an Iranian nuclear scientist and current Vice President and Head of Atomic Energy Organization.-Academic and Early Career:...
- Daryoush Rezaei