As rain fell across northern Iran in late March, mourners gathered in the mountain town of Asara to bury Mohammad Reza Kia. The quiet town, home to just a few thousand people, was lined with banners describing the young nuclear scientist as a “martyr of the imposed war.”
Details surrounding Kia’s death remain unclear. In a brief video released two weeks earlier, his mother said he was killed in an attack. Beyond a handful of academic papers and an inactive social media account, little is publicly known about him, except that he studied nuclear engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology between 2010 and 2017.
His death is one of several involving Iranian scientists in recent months, raising concerns about a broader campaign to weaken Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Analysts say the pattern suggests a deliberate effort by Israel and the United States to limit Tehran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons, especially as the war drags on.
US President Donald Trump recently said the conflict could last a few more weeks, adding that Washington was on track to achieve its objectives, including stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Still, Iran is believed to retain significant stockpiles of enriched uranium and decades of technical expertise.
Over the years, Iran has built an extensive nuclear infrastructure, from university research departments to uranium enrichment facilities. Experts note that even if the programme is officially civilian, the knowledge and systems in place could be redirected toward weapon development if the political decision is made.
Recent strikes appear to go beyond military targets. Reports indicate that research centres, scientists, and even parts of the supply chain linked to nuclear development have been hit. In one incident, a strike killed several people, including a senior research figure tied to an organisation long suspected by Western countries of supporting Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
That organisation was founded by Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, a prominent nuclear scientist widely believed to have been assassinated years ago. Since then, other key figures have also been targeted, suggesting a sustained effort to dismantle both the physical and intellectual backbone of Iran’s programme.
Security sources say the strategy is aimed at cutting off every stage of the process — from research and education to production and materials. Universities, laboratories, and even industrial facilities that could support future development are increasingly seen as potential targets.
Despite Iran’s insistence that its nuclear activities are peaceful, Western nations have long been suspicious. Some experts believe Iran has developed the technical capacity to build a nuclear weapon, even if it has not yet chosen to do so.
Iran’s uranium enrichment levels have also raised alarms. While nuclear power typically requires enrichment levels below 4 percent, Iran has reportedly enriched uranium up to 60 percent — much closer to weapons-grade material. Estimates suggest the country has accumulated hundreds of kilograms of this enriched uranium.
Following recent airstrikes on key facilities, questions remain about the location and safety of these stockpiles. Some international observers believe the material may still be intact and could be moved if necessary.
Before the conflict escalated, Iran had indicated a willingness to reduce its stockpile as part of negotiations, describing it as a gesture to demonstrate peaceful intentions.
Even so, experts say the combination of existing materials and accumulated knowledge means Iran could still develop a basic nuclear weapon within a relatively short timeframe if it decides to do so.
For now, the war continues, with both sides pursuing strategies that go beyond the battlefield — targeting not just weapons, but the knowledge and systems that sustain them.
