US denies role in Iranian nuclear scientist's death

Washington, Jan 12 (ANI): The United States has flatly denied being involved in the recent car bomb assassination of an Iranian nuclear scientist.

"The United States had absolutely nothing to do with this," The New York Post quoted said National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor, as saying.

"We strongly condemn all acts of violence, including acts of violence like this," Vietor added.

Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a 32-year-old nuclear scientist who was a deputy director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was reportedly in a Peugot 405 with two passengers at the time of the explosion.

Roshan died immediately in the blast. One of the passengers later died in the hospital.

Iran immediately pointed the finger at the US and Israel.

"This terrorist act was carried out by agents of the Zionist regime [Israel] and by those who claim to be combating terrorism [the US] with the aim of stopping our scientists from serving" Iran Vice President Mohammad Reza told the state television.

According to a Fox News report, State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland said that the US condemn any assassination or attack on an innocent person, and that they express sympathies to the family of the nuclear scientist.

"I'm not going to speak to who may or may not have done this, one way or the other. ... I don't think this department has any information further to what I've already said, which is that we condemn the loss of innocent life," she added. (ANI)