A top Iranian nuclear scientist killed in a targeted assassination last week was laid to rest Monday, with full military honors.
The remains of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was gunned down outside of Tehran Friday afternoon, were brought to Mashhad for his funeral Monday morning.
Senior Iranian military officials, including Defense Minister Amir Hatami, Revolutionary Guard chief Gen. Hossein Salami, the Guard’s Quds Force leader Gen. Esmail Ghaani, civilian nuclear program chief Ali Akbar Sahei and Intelligence Minister Mamoud Alavi.
During his eulogy for Fakhrizadeh, Defense Minister Hatami declared that despite the loss of one of their top nuclear scientists, the Iranian nuclear program would accelerate its work.
“We will continue the path of exaltation of the country with more speed and strength,” said Hatami.
Hatami called the assassination a “stupid” crime, and vowed that those behind the attack would be hunted down and executed.
“The enemy knows and I, as a soldier, tell him, no crime, no terror and no stupid act will go unanswered in the eyes of the Iranian people, and we will surely pursue the criminals behind it to the end, and they will be executed.”
The Iranian Defense Minister promised that his country would respond to the targeted killing.
"The enemy knows he cannot commit a crime without a response from the Iranian people, the blood of the martyr Fakhrizadeh will be remembered forever, the enemy has made a mistake in killing him.”