By Alan Cowell And Rick Gladstone The New York Times

At a time of growing tension over its nuclear programme and mounting belligerence toward the West, Iran reported on Wednesday that an Iranian nuclear scientist died in what was termed a "terrorist bomb blast" in northern Tehran when an unidentified motorcyclist attached a magnetic explosive device to his car.

At a time of growing tension over its nuclear programme and mounting belligerence toward the West, Iran reported on Wednesday that an Iranian nuclear scientist died in what was termed a "terrorist bomb blast" in northern Tehran when an unidentified motorcyclist attached a magnetic explosive device to his car.