The assassination of Dr Mohsin Fakhrizadeh, one of the best nuclear scientists of Iran, risks not only sharpening tensions with Israel, which has been accused of the killing, but also severely complicating plans by US President-elect Joe Biden to restart dialogue with the Islamic republic, analysts said on Saturday. 

Notably, the US has not formally commented on the situation yet but President Donald Trump has retweeted others’ comments on the incident, including at least one that said the scientist had been “wanted for many years by Mossad,” the Israeli intelligence agency.

Also read: Iranian Leader Khamenei demands ‘punishing’ people behind nuclear scientist killing

But for some American analysts, the killing of Fakhrizadeh was a dangerous act that undercuts Biden’s stated intention of offering Iran “a credible path back to diplomacy” as a step toward the US rejoining the nuclear accord.

Former CIA head John Brennan tweeted Friday that the scientist’s killing was a “criminal act & highly reckless,” saying it “risks lethal retaliation & a new round of regional conflict.”

Brennan, who led the US intelligence agency from 2013-2017, when Barack Obama was president and Biden was vice president, exhorted Iran to “wait for the return of responsible American leadership on the global stage & to resist the urge to respond against perceived culprits.”

Also read: Iran’s Prez Hassan Rouhani accuses nemesis Israel of scientist assassination

For Ben Rhodes, a former advisor to Obama, “This is an outrageous action aimed at undermining diplomacy between an incoming US administration and Iran.”

He added: “It’s time for this ceaseless escalation to stop.”

Some analysts, however, saw the killing in Iran as providing leverage to the incoming US administration that could be useful in possible negotiations with Tehran.

“Still almost two months before Joe Biden takes office,” noted Mark Dubowitz, director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).

“Plenty of time for U.S. and Israel to inflict severe damage on the regime in Iran – and build leverage for the Biden administration.”