Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: 'Machine-gun with AI' used to kill Iran scientist

Brig-Gen Ali Fadavi told local media that the weapon, mounted in a pick-up truck, was able to fire at Fakhrizadeh without hitting his wife beside him. The claim could not be verified.

The Iranian authorities have put out conflicting accounts of how the scientist was gunned down as he travelled in a car through the town of Absard.

On the day of the attack, the defence ministry said there was a gunfight between Fakhrizadeh's bodyguards and several gunmen.

In a speech at Fakhrizadeh's funeral, the head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council said it was actually a remote attack, using "special methods" and "electronic equipment". But he provided no further details.

Gen Fadavi, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards, told a ceremony in Tehran on Sunday that a machine-gun mounted on the Nissan pick-up was "equipped with an intelligent satellite system which zoomed in on martyr Fakhrizadeh" and "was using artificial intelligence".

The machine-gun "focused only on martyr Fakhrizadeh's face in a way that his wife, despite being only 25cm [10 inches] away, was not shot", he said.

The general reiterated that no human assailants had been present at the scene, saying that "in total 13 bullets were fired and all of them were shot from the [weapon] in the Nissan". Four bullets struck Fakhrizadeh's head of security "as he threw himself" on the scientist, he added.

Analyst Tom Withington, who specialises in electronic warfare, said the reports should be treated with "a healthy pinch of salt", and added that Iran's description appeared to be little more than a collection of "cool buzzwords" designed to suggest that only a supremely mighty force could possibly have succeeded in this mission.

The author didn't stray far from the machine gun theory.

And I'm surprised by the lack of photos.

I've seen another photo of the car at a different angle - from which he was assassinated. Three bullet holes TOTAL, all in a tight grouping on the windshield in front of the driver.

No other bullet holes on a pristine car with only a triangle window broken on the left side of back seat, possible used to reach in to open that door.

Could it be that Mohsen Fakhrizadeh is a defector? There were no photos of him.

The car looks “too clean” to be an assassination; normally a vehicle would be riddled with bullet holes. The broken window in the left rear suggests someone reached in to open the door - to pull him out of the car and whisk him away.

Also, why was family safely out of the country already prior to the supposed assassination.?

Usually the Brits have lots of photos included in major stories

This is iran reporting it’s own screwup. The Saudis have this guy.

Car bomb remotely set off in front of car with Dr. F (seated in back seat behind driver. Front passenger/guard and driver taken out (driver 3 close grouping taps head shot through windshield), passenger from rear corner window forward (visible jaw sections and teeth on dash in front). Rear passenger/guard got out, emptied two mags of his iranian copy of Galal machinepistol, and was blown to bits by a powerful explosive round (brains/skull bits visible on tarmac near left rear tire— body/blood imprint fell in place torso at 40” angle away from car.

Dr. F was taken by Saudi spec ops— he flipped. Family taken separately. Iranians trying to say his family was killed.

I have nothing more then a iMac, but an expanded view of the photos seems to show the bullet proof glass held. Possibly one round penetrated but it does not look like it did. Shots came from the front and side. The shots in the windshield are not as tightly grouped as suggested and had they penetrated everyone in the car would have been at risk. There are what appear to be bloody cloth or swabs on the passenger side dash? Who would use an AI controlled weapon and not use armor piercing high caliber rounds? On the side the grouping is much tighter and close to where the killing took place. Possibly the damage on the side were stray rounds or through and through. I wonder why the bullet proof glass was blown out on the back door, but not the front windshield? I saw a picture of a SpecOps attack on a Al Qaeda terrorists vehicle. You could see how the operator walked the rounds up the hood to the windshield. There were no rounds walked up the hood, the driver was directly shot at. Were there two shooters? Why would he get out of the vehicle and if he did, why shoot up the vehicle from the front and sides?

They said the AI vehicle blew itself up. There is a lot of debris around the vehicle, so that follows the narrative. What does not follow is the claim it was a single vehicle. I say this because the side bullet proof glass is blown out and you can see where rounds hit in the rear and the front The mass of blood near the rear of the vehicle certainly fits the narrative he was killed out side the vehicle. Why get out? They said a small charge was set to disable the vehicle and he got out to look? Really what dumbass with a target on his head and a security team does that?

Don't say well he was an Arab. He is not he is Persian. He is a Muslim, but not an Arab. They have very well educated engineers and security personnel. Iranians reversed engineered parts for the F-14 and then from that built their own aircraft industry. For a time they did suffer from leadership issues as many top military, intelligence and police officials fled the country. They are past that now. The only thing that is hurting them is their religious fervor. Whoever did this hit where sharp as hell and if they used AI, I think they also had boots on the ground. This should scare everyone and I agree AI does not belong in the hands of the police or military industrial complex. Because if they have this capability our children and grandchildren are truly screwed.

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