Israel has killed at least 14 scientists in a bold and unprecedented move aimed at crippling Iran's nuclear program.

 PARIS, JUNE 24 – Israel says it has seriously damaged Iran’s nuclear weapons program by killing at least 14 of its top scientists in targeted attacks. These scientists were key figures in developing nuclear weapons, and Israel’s ambassador to France claims their deaths will set Iran’s program back by several years. The attacks happened during nearly two weeks of Israeli airstrikes, supported by U.S. bunker-busting bombs.

Ambassador Joshua Zarka told the Associated Press that killing these experts makes it "almost" impossible for Iran to continue its weapons work using whatever nuclear materials and facilities it still has. He said the scientists were directly involved in designing and building nuclear weapons, not just doing basic research.

But nuclear experts and European officials argue that the knowledge can’t be wiped out just by killing people. Iran has trained many scientists over decades, and while this blow may slow them down, others can step in. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy told Parliament that force alone can't eliminate the knowledge or ambitions behind Iran’s nuclear program, and a political solution is still needed.

Who Were the Scientists?
According to Zarka, most of those killed were top nuclear physicists, chemists, and engineers, deeply involved in building a nuclear bomb. Nine died in the first wave of Israeli attacks on June 13. Iran later confirmed another scientist, Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, was killed after surviving an earlier attack that also killed his teenage son.

Impact and Replacements
Experts say the deaths and bombings may delay Iran’s program, especially if they also destroyed enriched uranium and essential equipment. But Iran still has other capable scientists. Mark Fitzpatrick, a former U.S. diplomat, said it might take time, but younger researchers can eventually fill the gap.

Another expert, Pavel Podvig, warned that this strategy may be aimed at scaring off future scientists from joining the program—but he also questioned how far such targeting could go: “What’s next—students?”

Zarka said that fear might indeed be part of the plan: “Anyone asked to join a future weapons project will think twice.”

A History of Such Attacks
Israel has long been suspected of killing Iranian nuclear scientists, though it usually stayed silent. In 2020, Iran blamed Israel for killing top scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Israel’s ambassador didn’t confirm this, but said Iran would likely already have a nuclear bomb if not for repeated delays caused by sabotage and killings.

Legal and Ethical Questions
International law prohibits killing civilians. But if these scientists were directly working on military weapons, some legal experts say they could be considered legitimate targets. Steven David, a political science professor, said these scientists were helping a regime that has openly threatened Israel, so targeting them was justified.

Still, others like Emory Law professor Laurie Blank say we can’t be sure if the attacks were legal without knowing the full facts.

Zarka emphasized the difference between peaceful scientific research and making nuclear weapons. “These weren’t just physics professors,” he said. “They were the ones who knew how to turn uranium into bombs—and that’s why they were targeted.”