Massive Protests Erupt in Iran Against US After Israeli Strike Kills Nuclear Scientists

Iranian media reported on Tuesday that top nuclear scientist Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber was killed in an Israeli airstrike in northern Tehran. Saber, who led the Shahid Karimi Group—part of Iran’s Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND)—was reportedly struck in a targeted attack near Ashrafieh, an area in the capital's north. His group was known for its work on explosives and nuclear-related projects.

Other reports suggest Saber may have been killed at his father’s residence in Astaneh-ye Ashrafiyeh in Gilan Province. Just last week, his son was killed in an Israeli strike on their home in Tehran, an attack Saber was initially believed to have survived.

Back in May 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Saber for playing a key role in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. He was named as a researcher specializing in sympathetic detonation, a field closely linked to nuclear arms development.