Iranian state media are saying one of the country's top nuclear scientists has Bean assassinated at Press TV has quoted unofficial sources saying that Mohsen Baquerizo Day was killed near Tehran.

However, conflicting reports Iran's nuclear energy organization has denied there has been any incident involving a nuclear scientist.

Clearly highly significant news.

If confirmed, I'm joined by Sebastian Usher, our Middle East editor for the World Service.

Sebastian First, what are you hearing from different sources about whether there has bean on assassination attempt or not?

Well, since the news broke about half an hour ago, there have been conflicting reports originally on state owned media outlets like Press TV.

It was stated quite clearly, but from unofficial sources that he had Bean assassinated, UH, than other reports came through, saying that he had bean wounded but was now being tuition Oscar.

Now I've just seen out of the corner of my eye here.

But the defense minister in Iran has now announced that Musson factories Edie has died.

He has been assassinated, so that looks like official confirmation.

Andi He is one of the most important, if not the most important nuclear scientists in Iran.

Well, in terms off the covert nuclear weapons program that obviously is extremely controversial, has been for years and years on has been the heart at the heart of the way that the U.

S administration under President Trump on Israel have looked at Iran as essentially coming close to posing a massive risk across the Middle East because of its nuclear program.

He has been described as the father off that program.

Eso you couldn't really choose a mawr significant target if that is what you were trying to harm it, that is what you're trying to damage on.

Also, of course, we have no idea who carried out this attack, but also, if you are trying to send a very, very strong message to the Iranian leadership that no one is safe on the action of any kind will be taken against their potential nuclear capability.

We've already had some strong words from the head of the Revolutionary Guards who said that thes attacks have happened in the past and they have bean revenged in the past on that's what will happen this time on.

That is the case back between 2010 and 2012 there was a spate of assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists.

Four of them were killed in relatively mysterious circumstances.

But Iran pointed the finger, at least in terms of complicity at Israel.

Now we've already had the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, not making any comment on what has just happened.

But we have to look at what the context is we've seen in the past few years with the Trump administration in power, with a very overt foreign policy from Saudi Arabia on Israel under Mr Netanyahu and an extremely strong attitude, a strategy of maximum pressure.

The US had described it against Iran.

And now in the last weeks off the Trump administration, there's been a lot of speculation about what it might do, Uh, in order to get its message across.

Once again on potentially make things more difficult for the president elect, Joe Biden.

If he were to want to return to the Iranian nuclear deal from which President Trump walked away in 2018.

Sebastian, Usher, thank you very much.

And Sebastian, they're saying that it appears the Defense Ministry in Iran is confirming this assassination.