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Destroyed vehicle after the attack on the Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
Photo: - / AFP
After the targeted killing of the Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, the Federal Foreign Office called for more prudence in the Middle East.
The European Union condemned the killing as a "crime".
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Israel's secret service minister has now called criticism of the deadly attack "hypocrisy".
"You know very well the Iranian attempts to acquire nuclear weapons," Minister Eli Cohen told the Israeli army broadcaster.
Tehran also supports radical groups across the region.
"Instead of talking very clearly about necessary sanctions, instead of ensuring that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons, we see them (the Europeans, editor's note) burying their heads in the sand again," said the secret service minister.
"I can say, however, that I do not shed a tear over Fakhrizadeh's death"
Eli Cohen, Israeli secret service minister
Fakhrizadeh was killed on Friday in a suburb of the capital Tehran.
Iran immediately blamed the US and Israel.
The government of the Jewish state has not officially commented on the act.
Cohen also said he did not know who was behind the crime.
"I can say, however, that I shed no tears over Fakhrizadeh's death," Cohen said.
The nuclear physicist was involved in Iran's nuclear weapons efforts.
His death is positive for the Middle East and the whole world.
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Last escort: An Iranian clergyman prays for the killed nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
Photo: - / AFP
"Israel has made it clear that Iran will not allow nuclear weapons to be obtained," he said.
"Iran calls for the destruction of Israel, and therefore from our point of view everyone who is actively involved in nuclear armament efforts is death."
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already named Fakhrizadeh in April 2018 as head of an earlier secret Iranian nuclear weapons program called Amad.
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dop / dpa