The IDF confirmed on Saturday that nine senior scientists and experts in the Iranian nuclear project were killed on Friday night. At least 20 senior Iranian commanders, including the head of the Revolutionary Guards, Aerospace Force Commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran on Friday, two regional sources told Reuters.

Six of those killed were Abdolhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Faqhi, Motablizadeh, Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani.

Who was Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi?

Born in 1965, Tehranchi has held a number of high positions at the Islamic Azad University, including as president of the institute since 2019, according to BBC Farsi.

He was a professor of theoretical physics at Beheshti University in Tehran, where he was also president from 2012-2016, and where he first began studying physics as a student. Some Iranian reports indicate that he received his PhD from a university in Moscow during the 90s; however, state media has insisted he graduated from Beheshti University.

Outside of academic institutions, the academic was reportedly known for his works in the Amad project, a secret Iranian nuclear program which attempted to manufacture nuclear weapons, according to BBC Farsi. He was accused by Israel in 2018 of being a lead in projects related to nuclear explosion simulation and the production of uranium-deuterium, a stable isotope of hydrogen.

The depleted uranium penetrator of a 30 mm round (credit: CHOIHEI/OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE/PUBLIC DOMAIN/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
The depleted uranium penetrator of a 30 mm round (credit: CHOIHEI/OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE/PUBLIC DOMAIN/VIA WIKIMEDIA COMMONS)
In a 2021 report by the Institute for Science and International Security, titled “Key Takeaways from Iran’s High-Risk Effort to Acquire Nuclear Weapons,” 

He was also sanctioned by the US in 2020 for his links to the development of Iranian nuclear technology and cooperation with the Iranian Defense Advanced Research Projects Organization, according to the report.

Who was Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani?

Abbasi-Davani was a nuclear scientist and served as head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization from 2011 to 2013, according to Reuters. 

He was a member of parliament from 2020 to 2024. BBC Farsi reported that he was also a former IRGC member during the Iran-Iraq War.

He also reportedly served as the dean of the physics department at the IRGC-affiliated Imam Hussein University and the laser and plasma research institute at Beheshti University.

In the 1990s, he reportedly taught and researched in the fields of radiation physics, lasers, plasma technology, and nuclear applications in industry and medicine, and was also a member of the Central Council of the Iranian Nuclear Association.

Iranian media reported that he survived a 2010 assassination attempt when a bomb was placed on his car.

Who was Akbar Motabizadeh?

While a lesser-known figure, it is reported that Motabizadeh worked as the head of the "Martyr Karimi Group," a group focused on researching weapons systems, and shock and explosion tests.

Who was Abdulhamid Minouchehr?

Minouchehr was a faculty member at Beheshti University and held the position of dean of the nuclear engineering department since 1962, according to BBC Farsi. It is understood that he received his education and PhD in nuclear engineering from Moscow University.

He made a number of public statements condemning international restrictions on Iranian nuclear programs. 

"Nuclear science is directly related to the economic and political power of a country. Know this: no country can have a strong and prosperous economy without military support and weapons,” he told an interviewer in 2003.

He has also co-authored studies on uranium enrichment.

Who was Ahmadreza Zolfaghari Dariani?

Dariani was a faculty member of Beheshti University and an associate professor in the university's Faculty of Nuclear Engineering, according to BBC Farsi.

State news agency IRNA reported that Dariani received his doctorate focusing on nuclear engineering from Imperial College London.

Dariani was a member of the scientific committee of the 31st Iranian Nuclear Conference, according to BBC Farsi, and  "actively participated in national and strategic projects related to the development of Iranian nuclear technology.”

Who was Amir Hossein Faqhi?

Faqhi, a professor of nuclear physics and a faculty member at Beheshti University, managed the institute’s nuclear engineering department, according to BBC Farsi, and he was made the head of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute in December 2011.