Israel killed at least 14 Iranian scientists, causing a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program, officials told The Associated Press.

In an interview Monday, Israeli French ambassador Joshua Zarka said that the Israeli strike killed at least 14 major Iranian physicists and nuclear engineers. According to Outlet.

He said the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) would make it “almost” impossible for Iran to develop weapons from the remaining nuclear infrastructure and materials. This follows almost two weeks of Israeli airstrikes and bunker-breaking bombs deployed on Saturday using US stealth bombers. (Related: “They don’t know what they’re doing”: Trump will drop off in Iran and Israel)

“The fact that the whole group disappeared is basically throwing the program back in quite a few years,” Zarka said.

They were “slained not because of the fact that they knew physics, but because of the battles they were personally involved in, (a) for the creation, manufacture and production of nuclear weapons,” the ambassador continued.

Israel stolen nine scientists on the wave of its first strike on June 13, according to the IDF. The military said Iranian scientists “have decades of accumulated experience in the development of nuclear weapons” in their specialties covering chemistry, physics, materials and explosives.

Iranian television announced Tuesday that the recent Israeli strike killed Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, an Iranian nuclear scientist who survived the June 13 attack, when his 17-year-old son died before.

Israel kills at least 14 scientists behind Iran’s nuclear program https://t.co/2kbcbntt7u pic.twitter.com/xfgsqjchj8

– New York Post (@nypost) June 24, 2025

Nuclear analysts point out that Iran still has other scientists who can replace what’s lost, the outlet reported. European authorities say military action will not eliminate Iran’s nuclear expertise and are calling for a negotiated settlement to address concerns about the programme. (Related: Vance flags Iran’s nuclear risk as “very close”)

Israel reportedly smuggled missile and drone parts to Iran before launching a strike over the Islamic Republic’s military, energy and nuclear sites, killing several commanders and nuclear scientists.

According to the New York Times (NYT), “It’s clear that there was a massive security and intelligence breach. I will not deny this. “All of our senior commanders were assassinated within an hour.”

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has submitted names of three senior Islamic clergy to a meeting of experts as potential successors, three Iranian officials previously told NYT. This reportedly showed his concern that he could be assassinated amidst the conflict with Israel.

He also appointed a new military leader to prevent a vacuum of power following the Israeli attack that killed top commanders, including Israeli commander and Iranian military commander and deputy commander Goramali Rashid.

Khamenei’s son Mojutaba is rumored to be a potential replacement for his father and was not among the three candidates, officials said.