Iranian Aerospace Engineer Died Under Mysterious Circumstances

Reports suggest he was poisoned at dinner party

It’s tough to be an engineer or scientist in Iran these days, as involvement in anything remotely military-related puts a target on their backd. This appears to have happened with Dr. Ayoob Entezari, an aerospace engineer who died last week under very suspicious circumstances.

Entezari was reported to have worked on missile and drone projects within Iran, and was found dead last week after attending a dinner party. Initial reports claimed food poisoning.

A lot of this is just speculation and unconfirmed reports, but Entezari’s poisoning was speculated by relatives to have been intentional, while local officials chalked it up as an illness. The host of the party he died after, not named, has reportedly left the country.

Iranian media seems to be downplaying the assassination reports, suggesting Entezari was just an ordinary employee and not a high-value target.

Israeli media, by contrast, seems to be embracing the assassination narrative, reporting that Israel will expand a regional travel warning anticipating possible revenge for the killing, with the unspoken implication that Israel was behind the plot.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.