Iran paper demands retaliation for scientist death
(Reuters) - A hardline Iranian newspaper with links to the country's top authority called on the clerical establishment on Thursday to take retaliatory measures against Israel for the killing of a nuclear scientist in Tehran.
Iran blamed its arch-enemies, Israel and the United States, for a blast which killed the nuclear scientist in his car on Wednesday, insisting the incident would not change the country's nuclear course.
The U.S. and its allies say Iran's nuclear program is aimed at producing weapons. Iran says the program is for peaceful purposes only.
"We should retaliate against Israel for martyring of our young scientist," wrote Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of the Kayhan newspaper, who was appointed by the country's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
"These corrupted people (Israelis) are easily identifiable and readily within our reach ... Assassinations of the Zionist regime's (Israel) military men and officials are very easy," he added, in an apparent call for Iran to assassinate Israelis.