ISTANBUL 

Six nuclear scientists were killed by Israeli strikes in Iran, local media reported Friday.

The semi-official Tasnim news agency identified the assassinated scientists as Abdulhamid Minouchehr, Ahmadreza Zolfaghari, Seyyed Amirhossein Faqhi, Motablizadeh, Mohammed Mehdi Tehranchi, and Fereydoun Abbasi.

“With this action, the Zionist regime showed that its real goal is science and technology, and it has come to war against our scientists using the tool of terror,” the agency said.

Israel launched a sweeping military operation against Iran on Friday, with 200 planes targeting its nuclear program and long-range missile capabilities.