He specialized in neutron transport, a phenomenon that lies at the heart of nuclear chain reactions in reactors and bombs. According to The Guardian, he "had no known links to banned nuclear work".[2] According to Al Jazeera he "was a quantum physicist and was not a political figure at all" and he "was not involved in Iran's nuclear programme".[3]
On 29 November 2010, assassins riding motorcycles planted and detonated C-4 (explosive) on his car door whilst he was driving. He was instantly killed. His fellow nuclear scientist Fereydoon Abbasi, a professor at Shahid Beheshti University was severely wounded. Dr. Abbasi's wife was also hurt.[8] The killers had attached bombs to the professors' cars and detonated them from a distance.[7]
Iranian officials have variously blamed Israel and the United States for assassinating Shahriari. Saeed Jalili, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, was quoted as saying Western nations "exercise terrorism to liquidate Iran's nuclear scientists".[9]
Time magazine ran an article questioning whether this action was perpetrated by Mossad (Israel's external intelligence service).[6] According to The Daily Telegraph (UK), Israel allegedly planned to conduct covert operations against Iran,[10] including assassinations.[11]