Would Assassinating Iranian Nuclear Scientists Stop Their Nuclear Program?

Security agents at the scene of a remote-controlled bomb explosion in which an Iranian university lecturer was killed Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

How Many Iranian Nuclear Physicists Are There? -- Slate

Would assassinating one or two of them stop a weapons program?

The Iranian government has blamed the United States for the assassination of a Tehran University nuclear physicist, Massoud Ali-Mohammadi, on Tuesday. Iran has also accused the United States of kidnapping a nuclear scientist who disappeared during a summer pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Other evidence suggests that Ali-Mohammadi might have been targeted by a domestic group, due to his support for the student movement or his opposition to the Islamic Republic. Let's say Western powers really are trying to eliminate Iran's nuclear scientists: Would killing or kidnapping just one or two affect the country's weapons program?

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My Comment: The US Manhattan Atomic Bomb Project employed over 100,000 during at the height of the program, but there were only "about" 30 who were deemed critical to the project. While Iran has not published the number of individuals involved in its own "Manhattan" Project, I would expect the same number of "critical" individuals involved in their project.