Operation Narnia: Iran’s nuclear scientists reportedly killed simultaneously using special weapon

Dubbed Operation Narnia, Israel’s opening attack against Iran last week saw the simultaneous killing of nine of the Islamic Republic’s top ten nuclear scientists, Channel 12 reports.

The nuclear scientists were killed using a special weapon whose details were barred from publication, Channel 12 says.

The 10th nuclear scientist was killed shortly after the other nine, as part of the overnight Thursday-Friday Israeli operation, which included strikes on Iran’s ballistic missile program and the Natanz nuclear site, along with the elimination of top members of the Islamic Republic’s military leadership, the network says.

The nuclear scientists were all killed while they were sleeping in their beds, with Israel deciding to carry out the assassinations simultaneously so that there wouldn’t be time to tip off those being targeted.

The scientists apparently believed they were safe from such targeting in their homes, a senior Israeli official tells Channel 12, noting that previously assassinated nuclear scientists were killed while heading to their cars after work.

Israel had been tracking Iranian nuclear scientists for years and the ten killed last week were marked for assassination in November of last year, Channel 12 says.

Israeli intelligence officials felt that the killing of the nuclear scientists was the most important part of Operation Narnia because the military leadership and equipment killed would be more easily replaceable, while the knowledge held by the nuclear scientists would take much longer to ascertain, the network said, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official.