Things are heating up on the global political front with Iran vowing retaliation after the architect of its nuclear program was assassinated on a highway near Tehran, as tensions escalate in a major way. 

The scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was ambushed with explosives and machine-gun fire in the town of Absard, 44 miles east of Tehran. Efforts to resuscitate him in the hospital failed. His bodyguard and family members were also wounded. 

“We will strike as thunder at the killers of this oppressed martyr and will make them regret their action,” tweeted Hossein Dehghan.

Fakhrizadeh’s death will undoubtedly be another major blow to the Tehran regime, which has struggled amid “maximum pressure” from the Trump administration. The regime also saw the U.S. leave the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and impose waves of sanctions on the Islamic dictatorship.

Joe Biden has said he will renew efforts to negotiate with Tehran over its nuclear program when he takes office and any escalation following Fakhrizadeh’s death would only complicate an already tough task.

One US official said if confirmed, the death “would be a big deal,” adding that the US is trying to determine what exactly happened, and also that the US will look at all the typical intelligence streams of information for clues.

The last thing the world needs is war at this time. We will keep and eye and ear on this topic as more details are made available.