Bomb kills nuclear scientist in Iran

An Iranian nuclear scientist died after a bomb exploded his car on Wednesday, an incident Tehran's deputy governor blamed on Israel due to the rising diplomatic temperature over Iran's nuclear program.

The victim was a nuclear scientist designated at supervising a department at Natanz Uranium Enrichment Facility.

The bomb was a magnetic, same nature as the bomb used by Israelis in a similar attack which also killed a scientist a year ago, said Tehran's Deputy Governor Safarali Baratloo.

With this incident, new U.S. sanctions against Iran have started to rise and rial sloped 20 percent down its recent value versus dollar. Iran also threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent oil trading passes.

The renewed clash over the nuclear program, which Iran insists is purely for civilian use but Western powers suspect has military goals, have caused oil prices to shoot up, with Brent crude increased to more than 5 percent reaching roughly $113 a barrel. — CCSD