Families of murdered scientists to sue UK

Rahim Ahmadi Roshan, father of Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a chemistry expert and a director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, said that the families have demanded Iran’s judiciary pursue their complaint through international bodies and bring those behind the killings to justice.

“We’ve filed an indictment against the Zionist regime and the arrogant powers,” Mr Roshan said.”(The judiciary) is to pursue this case with the relevant international bodies.”

Iran’s state television broadcast purported confessions earlier this month by 14 suspects in connection with the killing of five nuclear scientists since 2010.

The TV also showed pictures from a military garrison it said was a training camp outside Tel Aviv in Israel. It said the suspects took courses there, including how to place magnetic bombs on cars – the method used to kill the scientists. The suspects also said they received training in Israel.

Iran says the attacks are part of a covert campaign by Israel and the West to sabotage its nuclear programme, which many consider weapons-related. Iran denies this.

Iran has blamed Israel’s Mossad as well as the CIA and MI6 for the assassinations, with support from some of Iran’s neighbours. The US and UK have denied involvement. Israel has not commented.

In another development, Iran is increasingly supporting the Syrian regime and is helping to build and train a militia to fight opposition forces, say US defence chiefs.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told Pentagon reporters that the militia, generally made up of Syrian Shiite forces, was being used to take the pressure off the Syrian regime forces, which have been at war for almost 18 months.

“Any army would be taxed with that kind of pace,” Gen Dempsey said. “They are having resupply problems, they are having morale problems, they are having the kind of wear and tear that would come of being in a fight for as long as they have.”