Limor Simhony Philpott

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh’s death comes at a convenient time for Netanyahu

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is laid to rest (Getty images)

What did Joe Biden make of the assassination of the Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh? The president-elect has yet to make his feelings known, but it is hard to imagine Biden will be pleased with a killing that has the potential to escalate tensions in the Middle East and obstruct his policy towards Iran. 

Although Israel has not admitted to the attack, it carries all the known trademarks of sophisticated Mossad assassinations. Add to that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s implicit threat against Fakhrizadeh in 2018, and it becomes hard to escape the conclusion that Israel was responsible. So why would Israel risk retaliation by Iran, as well as antagonising Biden and its European and few Middle Eastern allies by carrying out this hit? Whether or not one agrees with the tactics employed by Israel, understanding Israel’s motivation may be more conducive than condemnations.

Over many years, Israel has adopted a strategy of targeted attacks, including military strikes and cyber-attacks against nuclear and other strategic assets and infrastructure in Iran. It also assassinated high level officials working on Iran’s nuclear programme in efforts to disrupt and delay it, and to act as a deterrent. This assassination should be seen as part of this ongoing approach.

The timing of this action was meant to signal to Joe Biden and his team that Israel will not sit idly by while the new administration negotiates a return to the nuclear deal with Iran, a deal Israel has deep misgivings about. What’s more, assassinating a high-profile target that draws negative international attention is better done under the Trump administration, considering Trump’s sustained contempt towards the Iranian regime and his close relationship with Netanyahu, than when Biden takes over.

Israelis don’t agree about much, but where there is a consensus here is in the view that Iran is a major regional threat.

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Written by
Limor Simhony Philpott

Dr. Limor Simhony is a freelance writer. She was previously a research fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) in Tel Aviv.

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