Mysterious Death of Iranian Nuclear Physicist
Esfandiar Saffari - 2007.02.08
Despite initial denials by Iran’s state-run media, Baztab news website [affiliated with former Passdaran Revolutionary Guards commander Mohsen Rezai] confirmed the “mysterious” death of Ardeshir Hosseinpour, a senior nuclear physicist involved in the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
Baztab quoted “one of Hosseinpour’s acquaintances” as saying, “Unfortunately, 20 days ago, Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour, who was only 40 years old and a medal-holder in Kung Fu, passed away in a house belonging to a professor at Shiraz University.”
Baztab did not reveal further more details about the death, but confirmed that Dr. Hosseinpour played a key role in “designing and engineering centrifuges in Iran.”
According to published reports, Dr. Ardeshir Hosseinpour was born in 1962 and had a degree in electrical engineering and a PhD in nuclear physics.
The local media in Iran only reported that Dr. Hosseinpour had passed away “24 hours after being awarded the top prize at the Kharazmi International Science Festival,” held in Iran every year as part of the commemorations for the victory of the 1979 revolution.
The mysteries surrounding Hosseinpour’s death began with the unofficial announcement of his death 6 days after the event. In recent days, some international media outlets claimed that the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, was involved in the death of this 44-year-old physicist.
Iranian officials have not yet commented on allegations over Mossad’s involvement. Three days ago however, Fars News Agency quoted a “knowledgeable official” as saying, “None of Iran’s nuclear scientists have been assassinated, and Mossad does not have such operational capabilities in Iran.”
Fars’s “knowledgeable official” believed that foreign media such as Sunday Times and Time magazine published the story of Hosseinpour’s assassination by Mossad in order to wage psychological warfare on Iran, and cover up for the intelligence failures of the United States and Israel. He said, “Ardeshir Hosseinpour was a professor at Shiraz University and passed away recently due to a gas leak. He has no connections with Isfahan’s nuclear facilities.”
Meanwhile, Baztab news website reported, “Ardeshir Hosseinpour was one of Iran’s top centrifuge engineers.”

Link to this news in farsi:

http://www.roozonline.com/english/archives/2007/02/002225.php