UN Secretary-General calls for self restraint in a bid to avoid escalation following assassination of Iranian scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

Iran Press/America: A United Nations (UN) spokesman on Friday called for exercising restraint and avoiding escalation in the Middle East region following the assassination of top Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh.

"We have noted the reports that an Iranian nuclear scientist has been assassinated near Tehran today. We urge restraint and the need to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of tensions in the region," Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said when responding to a question related to the assassination.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Inga Rhonda King, president of the Security Council for the month of November, Iran's permanent representative to the United Nations Majid Takht Ravanchi expressed strong condemnation against the "criminal assassination" of its nuclear scientist.

He added Iran "expects the secretary-general of the United Nations and the Security Council to strongly condemn this inhumane terrorist act and take necessary measures against its perpetrators."

Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Head of the Research and Innovation Organization of the Ministry of Defense, was assassinated in a terrorist operation on Friday at 2:30 PM local time in Absard, Damavand county, near Tehran. 

101/209

Read more:

Fakhrizadeh's martyrdom shows our enemies’ despair: Iran's Rouhani

Hezbollah condoles Iran over Fakhrizadeh's martyrdom

Iran Press releases new footage of Fakhrizadeh’s assassination