News/Commentary

Iranian operative suspected in murder of MIT nuclear science professor

December 18, 2025 | | Print Article

The Israeli government suspects that MIT nuclear science professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro was murdered by an Iranian operative.

Loureiro, an avid supporter of Israel, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the foyer of his condo Monday evening, according to The Boston Globe.

He was then taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead the following morning. As of Thursday, no suspects had been identified.

However, according to The Jerusalem Post, the Israeli government officials have been examining “intelligence” that suggests Loureiro was murdered by an Iranian operative, possibly because of the type of vital research he was conducting.

“He was considered one of the world’s leading researchers in energy and nuclear physics and has served in key roles at research centers related to the development of future technologies,” the Post notes.

The Post’s sources stressed that the possible Iranian connection is just a theory at this point and hasn’t been confirmed with any official evidence.

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Loureiro’s murder comes amid heightened tensions regarding Iran’s controversial nuclear program.

Earlier this year, Israel accused Iran of building up its nuclear arsenal and violating international agreements.

This accusation prompted U.S. President Donald Trump to order crippling strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Loureiro’s neighbor, Louise Cohen, reportedly discovered his body. Since the discovery, she’s been unable to sleep.

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“I can’t sleep now,” she told the Globe. “This family is so amazing. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to kill him… Should we be afraid now?”

Loureiro lives in Brookline, Massachusetts. Bernard Greene, the chair of the Brookline Select Board, has advised the public to abstain from embracing unverified rumors and conspiracy theories.

“We understand that, in the absence of concrete information, rumors and fear can spread among community members,” he said in a statement that was shared with local station WBTS. “We also understand your frustration with what we can say at the present time, but respectfully ask that law enforcement be given the space it needs to bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice, and that the victim’s loved ones be given privacy and shelter from rumors or misinformation.”

“To ensure the integrity of this ongoing investigation and to prevent the spread of inaccuracies, we urge the community to rely exclusively on official updates provided by the Brookline Police Department and the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office. These remain the only credible sources for verified information,” he added.

Prior to his death, Loureiro had shared optimism about his line of work.

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“It’s not hyperbole to say MIT is where you go to find solutions to humanity’s biggest problems,” he reportedly said when he was named last year to lead the plasma science lab. “Fusion energy will change the course of human history.”

“His research on magnetized plasma dynamics, magnetic field amplification, and confinement and transport in fusion plasmas helped inform the design of fusion devices that could harness the energy of fusing plasmas, bringing the dream of clean, near-limitless fusion power closer to reality,” according to an MIT blog post.

He started his work at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in the early 2000s before moving on to the UKAEA Culham Center for Fusion Energy in 2007.

He later returned to the Instituto Superior Tecnico (IST) in Portugal, where he’d majored in physics, to conduct research. He wound up at MIT in 2016.

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Vivek Saxena
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