The number of missing or dead U.S. scientists since 2022 has surged to 11 with Amy Eskridge's death garnering fresh scrutiny. The U.S. House Oversight Committee has also sought a briefing from four key federal agencies regarding this. At present, FBI is leading the effort to hunt for any possible connections between these scientists.


Search for 11 Missing & Dead Nuclear Scientists Sparks Fresh Security Alarm in US

The profile of one of China’s top nuclear weapons scientists has been scrubbed from the website of the nation’s engineering brains trust.

Zhao Xiangeng, 72, was a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the nation’s highest academic body for engineering science and technology, but his profile page has disappeared from the CAE’s site.

Xi Jinping: Total Loyalty, No Corruption Mission

Why Are China's Nuclear Scientists Vanishing From Chinese Academy of Engineering Website?

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, said on Tuesday that Iran will not pause its nuclear programme and arrangements have been made to prevent any disruption to the country’s nuclear activities. Eslami also condemned the Israeli and American military attacks on Iran’s ‘peaceful’ nuclear facilities and said that the AEOI has taken all necessary measures and is assessing damages at the sites that have been attacked. Iran had made a series of arrangements in advance to restore the nuclear activities, Eslami said while emphasising that plans have been devised to prevent any hiatus in the process of production and services in the nuclear industry.&nbsp;In separate comments, AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Tuesday that the nuclear industry is deeply embedded in Iran and it is impossible for the enemies to uproot this technology.Iran has capacities and capabilities that allow it to continue progress in the nuclear industry uninterrupted, he added.&nbsp;<h2>Three major facilities, several minor nuclear sites hit&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;Israel and the US have destroyed or badly damaged Iran’s three major nuclear facilities and dozens of minor nuclear sites and killed around a dozen nuclear scientists.&nbsp;Iran is assessing damage to its nuclear sites after a series of Israeli and US strikes targeted Tehran’s main nuclear facilities and is planning for their restoration, reported Mehr news, citing Iran’s nuclear chief, Eslami.&nbsp;At 7:00 a.m., a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect after 12 days of war between the two countries.&nbsp;Israel and the US have destroyed Iran’s three major nuclear sites, but it is not fully known whether the Fordow nuclear site struck by Washington was destroyed completely or partially.The IDF also destroyed close to two-thirds of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and its missile production ecosystem.&nbsp;In the June 13 attack, the IDF killed nine out of 13 primary Iranian military and intelligence chiefs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>IAEA chief seeks meeting with Iran’s foreign minister</h2>&nbsp;UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday that he had written to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to propose a meeting and urged cooperation after the ceasefire.Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a post on X that Iran resuming cooperation with the agency could lead to a diplomatic solution to the long-standing controversy over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">I welcome announcements on Iran situation. Resuming cooperation with <a href="https://twitter.com/iaeaorg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IAEAorg</a> is key to a successful agreement. I’ve written to <a href="https://twitter.com/araghchi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@araghchi</a> stressing this step can lead to a diplomatic solution to the long-standing controversy over 🇮🇷 nuclear program and proposed to meet soon.&mdash; Rafael Mariano Grossi (@rafaelmgrossi) <a href="https://twitter.com/rafaelmgrossi/status/1937426770862489806?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Tuesday that the nuclear industry is deeply embedded in Iran and it is impossible for the enemies to uproot this technology. 

The head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Mohammad Eslami, said on Tuesday that Iran will not pause its nuclear programme and arrangements have been made to prevent any disruption to the country’s nuclear activities. Eslami also condemned the Israeli and American military attacks on Iran’s ‘peaceful’ nuclear facilities and said that the AEOI has taken all necessary measures and is assessing damages at the sites that have been attacked. Iran had made a series of arrangements in advance to restore the nuclear activities, Eslami said while emphasising that plans have been devised to prevent any hiatus in the process of production and services in the nuclear industry. In separate comments, AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Tuesday that the nuclear industry is deeply embedded in Iran and it is impossible for the enemies to uproot this technology. Iran has capacities and capabilities that allow it to continue progress in the nuclear industry uninterrupted, he added. Three major facilities, several minor nuclear sites hit Israel and the US have destroyed or badly damaged Iran’s three major nuclear facilities and dozens of minor nuclear sites and killed around a dozen nuclear scientists. Iran is assessing damage to its nuclear sites after a series of Israeli and US strikes targeted Tehran’s main nuclear facilities and is planning for their restoration, reported Mehr news, citing Iran’s nuclear chief, Eslami. At 7:00 a.m., a ceasefire between Israel and Iran came into effect after 12 days of war between the two countries. Israel and the US have destroyed Iran’s three major nuclear sites, but it is not fully known whether the Fordow nuclear site struck by Washington was destroyed completely or partially. The IDF also destroyed close to two-thirds of Iran’s ballistic missile launchers and its missile production ecosystem. In the June 13 attack, the IDF killed nine out of 13 primary Iranian military and intelligence chiefs. IAEA chief seeks meeting with Iran’s foreign minister UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Tuesday that he had written to Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to propose a meeting and urged cooperation after the ceasefire. Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said in a post on X that Iran resuming cooperation with the agency could lead to a diplomatic solution to the long-standing controversy over Tehran’s nuclear programme.

AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi told Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Tuesday that the nuclear industry is deeply embedded in Iran and it is impossible for the enemies to uproot this technology.&nbsp;

No pause, Iran will restore its nuclear programme, says AEOI chief Eslami

As Israel launched Operation Rising Lion against Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities, top military officials, and nuclear scientists in the past few weeks, another operation has come into light. Israel also launched Operation Narnia, killing 10 Iranian nuclear scientists as a part of the ongoing war.The Iranian nuclear scientists were killed while they were sleeping in their homes, Channel 12 reported.Israel’s Operation Rising Lion eliminated many senior officials in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and key individuals involved in Iran’s nuclear program.<h2>All about Operation Narnia</h2>Israel Defence Forces (IDF) targeted the scientists who had the most military expertise and the greatest difficulty in replacing them.Then, Israel compiled a list of those scientists, ready for execution at command. The strike successfully targeted nuclear scientists with the help of the Intelligence Directorate’s precise intelligence.Israel used a “special weapon” to eliminate these scientists, according to Channel 9 and Channel 12 reports. While the specifics of this have been barred from publication.Those scientists were the key figures in Iran’s nuclear program, with years of experience in nuclear weapons development.<h2>Scientists killed by Israeli strike</h2><ul><li>Fereydoun Abbasi, a nuclear engineering expert</li><li>Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, a physics expert</li><li>Akbar Matlali Zadeh, a chemical engineering expert</li><li>Saeed Beraji, a materials engineering expert</li><li>Amir Hassan Faqahi, a physics expert</li><li>Abd al-Hamid Minushahr, a reactor physics expert</li><li>Mansour Asgari, a physics expert</li><li>Ahmad Reza Davalparki Daryani, a nuclear engineering expert</li><li>Ali Bakhayi Kathehremi, a mechanical expert</li></ul>Out of those 10 scientists, three of the most known were Fereydoun Abbasi, Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, and Akbar Matlali Zadeh.Notably, many of those scientists were successors of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was popularly known as the father of Iran’s nuclear program. Fakhrizadeh himself was killed in 2020, by a robotic sniper, allegedly planned by Israel. &nbsp;

The Iranian nuclear scientists were killed while they were sleeping in their homes, Channel 12 reported.

As Israel launched Operation Rising Lion against Iran, targeting its nuclear facilities, top military officials, and nuclear scientists in the past few weeks, another operation has come into light. Israel also launched Operation Narnia, killing 10 Iranian nuclear scientists as a part of the ongoing war. The Iranian nuclear scientists were killed while they were sleeping in their homes, Channel 12 reported. Israel’s Operation Rising Lion eliminated many senior officials in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and key individuals involved in Iran’s nuclear program. All about Operation Narnia Israel Defence Forces (IDF) targeted the scientists who had the most military expertise and the greatest difficulty in replacing them. Then, Israel compiled a list of those scientists, ready for execution at command. The strike successfully targeted nuclear scientists with the help of the Intelligence Directorate’s precise intelligence. Israel used a “special weapon” to eliminate these scientists, according to Channel 9 and Channel 12 reports. While the specifics of this have been barred from publication. Those scientists were the key figures in Iran’s nuclear program, with years of experience in nuclear weapons development. Scientists killed by Israeli strike Fereydoun Abbasi, a nuclear engineering expert Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, a physics expert Akbar Matlali Zadeh, a chemical engineering expert Saeed Beraji, a materials engineering expert Amir Hassan Faqahi, a physics expert Abd al-Hamid Minushahr, a reactor physics expert Mansour Asgari, a physics expert Ahmad Reza Davalparki Daryani, a nuclear engineering expert Ali Bakhayi Kathehremi, a mechanical expert Out of those 10 scientists, three of the most known were Fereydoun Abbasi, Mohammad Mahdi Tehranchi, and Akbar Matlali Zadeh. Notably, many of those scientists were successors of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was popularly known as the father of Iran’s nuclear program. Fakhrizadeh himself was killed in 2020, by a robotic sniper, allegedly planned by Israel.

The Iranian nuclear scientists were killed while they were sleeping in their homes, Channel 12 reported.

'Killed in the sleep’: What was Israel’s Operation Narnia? Here’s how IDF strikes killed 10 Iranian nuclear scientists

The CIA continues to be very concerned about potential contacts between Pakistani nuclear scientists and extremist groups and is monitoring them, US President Donald Trump's nominee to head the agency has said.

Gina Haspel, if confirmed by the Senate, would be the first female director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).&nbsp

"There was very deep concern about potential contacts, and we continue to monitor this very closely, between extremists and Pakistani nuclear scientists," Haspel told the members of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee during her confirmation hearing yesterday.&nbsp

She was responding to a question from Senator John Cornyn.

Cornyn cited a book that reminded him that post-9/11, the then president George W Bush was concerned about reports that Osama bin Laden and al Qaida were meeting with the Pakistani officials connected with their nuclear programme to gain access to a nuclear device that they might then use for a follow-on attack against the cities like Washington DC.

"Without divulging classified information, can you confirm that there were concerns about follow-on attacks using nuclear devices, biological weapons, other weapons of mass destruction that might have killed more innocent Americans as happened on 9/11? Was that the environment in which you and the country were operating in at the time?" Cornyn asked Haspel.

There were very grave concerns on that front, Haspel answered.

"And indeed, al Qaida had those kinds of programmes, efforts to acquire crude, dirty bombs, efforts to develop -- they had a programme -- a biological weapons programme. I remember the operative who was in charge of that," Haspel said.&nbsp

'There was very deep concern about potential contacts, and we continue to monitor this very closely, between extremists and Pakistani nuclear scientists,' Haspel told members of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee during her confirmation hearing

The CIA continues to be very concerned about potential contacts between Pakistani nuclear scientists and extremist groups and is monitoring them, US President Donald Trump's nominee to head the agency has said. Gina Haspel, if confirmed by the Senate, would be the first female director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). "There was very deep concern about potential contacts, and we continue to monitor this very closely, between extremists and Pakistani nuclear scientists," Haspel told the members of the Senate Select Intelligence Committee during her confirmation hearing yesterday. She was responding to a question from Senator John Cornyn. Cornyn cited a book that reminded him that post-9/11, the then president George W Bush was concerned about reports that Osama bin Laden and al Qaida were meeting with the Pakistani officials connected with their nuclear programme to gain access to a nuclear device that they might then use for a follow-on attack against the cities like Washington DC. "Without divulging classified information, can you confirm that there were concerns about follow-on attacks using nuclear devices, biological weapons, other weapons of mass destruction that might have killed more innocent Americans as happened on 9/11? Was that the environment in which you and the country were operating in at the time?" Cornyn asked Haspel. There were very grave concerns on that front, Haspel answered. "And indeed, al Qaida had those kinds of programmes, efforts to acquire crude, dirty bombs, efforts to develop -- they had a programme -- a biological weapons programme. I remember the operative who was in charge of that," Haspel said.

CIA concerned about potential contacts between Pak nuclear scientists and extremists: Haspel