Iranian nuclear scientist killed

An Iranian nuclear scientist was killed by a bomb placed on his car on Wednesday. Iranian authorities blamed the attack on Israel. The bombing, which a city official said was similar to attacks a year ago on nuclear scientists in Iran, came as the United States sought to persuade China to help efforts to toughen sanctions against Iran. Meanwhile, the latest U.S. sanctions against Iran have begun to make themselves felt. The rial currency lost 20 percent of its value against the dollar in the past week and Iran has threatened to shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of trade oil passes.