• Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was shot dead in his car by 12 highly-trained assassins in the city of Absard, near Tehran 
  • The killers – which included a pair of snipers – formed 62-person group of plotters, reports have revealed 
  • Detail have been revealed by Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze who obtained leaked information

Fakhrizadeh – dubbed the ‘father’ of Iran’s bomb programme – was shot dead in his car by 12 highly-trained assassins following an explosion in the city of Absard, 50 miles east of Tehran. The killers – which included a pair of snipers – formed part of a 62-person group of plotters. The remaining 50 people were responsible for logistical support. Extraordinary detail about Fakhrizadeh’s final moments have been revealed by Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze who claims he received leaked information from the country’s authorities. Fakhrizadeh’s death sent tensions in the regions skyrocketing as Iran has repeatedly blamed Israel’s national intelligence agency Mossad for the the assassination – with several prominent figures vowing revenge. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – who has the final say on all matters of state – yesterday said Iran’s first priority after the killing was the ‘definitive punishment of the perpetrators and those who ordered it.’ He did not elaborate.  And, in an intervention that risks inflaming conflict even further, a former head of the US’s Central Intelligence Agency labelled the assassination a ‘criminal’ act and branded it ‘highly reckless’.

John Brennan – who was director of the CIA from 2013 to 2017 under President Barack Obama – said he did not know who was to blame for the murder of Fakhrizadeh but said it ‘risks lethal retaliation and a new round of regional conflict’.

One American official and two other intelligence officials also told the New York Times that Israel was behind the attack.   Mohsen Fakhrizadeh – dubbed the ‘father’ of Iran’s bomb programme – was shot dead in his car by 12 highly-trained assassins following an explosion in the city of Absard, 50 miles east of Tehran.

Remarkable detail of the elaborate plot to assassinate 'prominent and distinguished' Iranian nuclear scientist Fakhrizadeh has been leaked (pictured) - as the rogue nation claim Israel is behind the hit

The killers – which included a pair of snipers – formed part of a 62-person strong group of plotters. The remaining 50 people were responsible for logistical support. Pictured: The aftermath of the assassination

Extraordinary detail about Fakhrizadeh's final moments have been revealed by Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze who claims he received leaked information from the country's authorities. Pictured: The aftermath of the attack

Extraordinary detail about Fakhrizadeh’s final moments have been revealed by Iranian journalist Mohamad Ahwaze who claims he received leaked information from the country’s authorities. Pictured: The aftermath of the attack

Ahwaze said the attack was planned for a roundabout in Absard, at the foot of a tree-lined boulevard which enters the city. Pictured: The aftermath of the attack

Ahwaze said the attack was planned for a roundabout in Absard, at the foot of a tree-lined boulevard which enters the city. Pictured: The aftermath of the attack

Britain is ‘concerned’ by the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is ‘concerned’ about the possible escalation of tensions in the Middle East following the assassination of a top Iranian nuclear scientist earlier in the week. Raab told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: ‘We are concerned about the situation in Iran and the wider region we do want to see de-escalation of tension. ‘We’re still waiting to see the full facts, to address the full facts of what’s happened in Iran but I would say that we stick to the rule of international humanitarian law which is very clear against targeting civilians.’ Fakhrizadeh died on Friday after being seriously wounded when assailants targeted his car and engaged in a gunfight with his bodyguards outside Tehran, according to Iran’s defence ministry. Iran President Hassan Rouhani pinned the blame for the killing on ‘the wicked hands of the global arrogance,’ a term usually used to refer to the United States. The US slapped sanctions on Fakhrizadeh in 2008 for ‘activities and transactions that contributed to the development of Iran’s nuclear programme’. Ahwaze said the attack was planned for a roundabout in Absard, at the foot of a tree-lined boulevard which enters the city.  The team had been watching Fakhrizadeh, and knew that he was going to be driving from Tehran to Absard on Friday.  The mountain retreat of 10,000 people is where many well-off Tehranis have second homes, and Fakhrizadeh, 59, had a villa there. The 12 assassins – described as being highly-trained and assisted by ‘security and intelligence services abroad’ – were deployed to Absard while the remaining 50 people in the 62-person strong group helped with logistical support. He did not specify whether they were in Iran, or abroad. A Hyundai Santa Fe with four passengers, four motorcyles and two snipers were waiting for Fakhrizadeh at the scene of the ambush – along with a booby-trapped Nissan pickup. Half an hour before Fakhrizadeh’s convoy of three bulletproof cars arrived, the electricity was cut off to the area, Ahwaze reported.  The team were in place when the first car passed the roundabout.   As the third car passed, the Nissan exploded, damaging electricity poles and transmitters, according to a state TV report from the area on Friday night.  The force of the explosion from the bomb hurled debris at least 300 meters, state television claimed. The second car, containing Fakhrizadeh, was then shot at by the 12 assassins, including two snipers.  The gunmen with the hit squad opened fire on the cars, and an intense gunfight ensued, according to Sepah Cybery, a social media channel affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. Ahwaze tweeted: ‘According to Iranian leaks, the leader of the assassination team took Fakhrizadeh out of his car and shot him and made sure he was killed.’ The hit squad then vanished, having sustained no losses to their team, Ahwaze reported.