Couldn't Be

So another Iranian physicist was assassinated today. As a civilian, this act clearly has to be classified as terrorism. I don’t see how you could possibly argue otherwise; it’s a targeted act of violence by a political group intended to intimidate others.

Clearly, there’s only two nations with the motivation and means to pull off such an operation: the U.S. & Israel. Either possibility is disconcerting.

America hates terrorism. It obviously wouldn’t engage in a terrorist act against a civilian in a nation not at war with America. After all, such an act would undermine its moral high ground in its war on terror. If it justified the ability to kill whomever it wished in the world, while insisting that the reverse was utterly heinous, that would imply all other nations of the world are just America’s vassals. We're not that narcissistic.

America wouldn’t engage in such an act for pragmatic purposes either. After all, such an egregious act of violence would push even the most moderate, secular, pro-Western, anti-mullah Iranians to support nuclear armament. Persecution breeds solidarity as we Americans are keenly aware, and the bomb is the surest means of Iran deterring such future acts of aggression.

America wouldn’t give Israel tacit approval of such an action or give such an action public approval after the fact. After all, America is Israel’s greatest friend, and friends don’t just unconditionally approve of any action their friend might take. A friend would be seriously concerned about immoral, violent, and dangerous actions in his/her friend. A friend would confront them and have a serious discussion to help them. To give approval or stay silent would ultimately do the friend a disservice.

Not to mention, wouldn't approving such an action constitute "material support of a terrorist group"? America would definitely never break its own laws.