Tehran: Iran has boosted security for all its nuclear workers after one of its scientists was assassinated last week, First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi said Tuesday.
"Whoever is active in the nuclear field will be put under special care," Rahimi said in remarks reported by the official IRNA news agency.
The order was given by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Rahimi said.
The ISNA news agency quoted the vice president as saying that the additional measures -- which were not specified -- come on top of ones ordered 10 months ago for Iran`s nuclear scientists.
"This time around, the government ordered that anyone who is active in the nuclear field, from low levels to higher ups, be under surveillance and put under special care," Rahimi said.
The new security order was given after Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a 32-year-old deputy director of Iran`s main uranium enrichment plant, was murdered on January 11 along with his driver/bodyguard when assassins on a motorbike fixed a magnetic bomb to their car.
The attack was the fifth such incident targeting Iran`s scientists in the past two years. Four other scientists -- three of them involved in Iran`s nuclear programme -- died in the attacks, while one managed to escape with injuries.
Iranian officials say the attacks are a covert campaign by Israel and the United States.
On Monday, parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani said Iran had arrested an unspecified number of suspects over Ahmadi Roshan`s killing, without giving their identities or nationalities.
PTI
