This is CBSI on the world. I'm John Batchel. I welcome my colleague Andrea Stricker, research fellow,

deputy director of the Non-Proliferation Biodefense Program at the Foundation for Defensive Democracies,

who was published with her colleague, Bridget Toomey, a very helpful list of the said-to-be nuclear, suspect nuclear weapons

program scientists who were said to have been decapitated, that is, targeted killing in the

first night of the bombing of Israel's attack on the suspect nuclear weapons program. And Andrea has

helped me these many years understand a program from outside. Now we're going inside with this list of

names, what they add up to. Andrea, a very good evening to you. I begin with your list because there are

nine names here all going in different directions. We'll begin with Muhammad Taranqi. What do we need to know about him? What was his work? Good evening to you.

Good evening, John. Things have changed quite a bit with Iran's nuclear program since we last

spoke, which was just a few days ago. So Israel said that it has gone after Iran's nuclear weapons program.

It said that it had seen a significant acceleration in the program in recent months,

leading to its decision to take out what I would call the brain trust of the nuclear weapons scientists.

At least nine men and maybe more, I've seen reports that

there are up to 14 who were targeted. But we know that these men were all involved in the

Ahmad plan, which is Iran's early nuclear weapons program. So these men were involved in making

the nuclear weapon and various components of it.

And then some of them, we were told exclusively by a Western government source, were involved in current weaponization efforts.

And these were being directed at a very high level.

The Supreme Leader was aware one of his key

advisors, Ali Shumkani, was co-directing it along with Major General Muhammad Baguari, who is the

chief of staff of Iran's armed forces. Israel assassinated both of those men as well. So I think they've dealt a significant blow.

The man that you're referring to Muhammad Medi Taranchi, he was a key figure, one of the most celebrated nuclear scientists in Iran.

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