Bruce has posted several stories about Stuxnet lately. Four days ago, for example, he pointed to a story in the news:

This long New York Times article includes some interesting revelations.

Buried in the comments you will find my short history of the CIA’s Operation Ajax in 1953:

I’d say this is all well documented history, but I also agree it is worth keeping in mind when we consider today why anyone would bother to destabilize Iran’s nuclear projects.

…and when I say destabilize, I mean trying to kill scientists, professors and their spouses. Stuxnet is a nice side-story to build a cyberwar budget, but I think in the big scheme of risk to international relations the five recent assassinations (and Ali Reza Asgari’s disappearance in 2007) should be getting far more attention.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112901560.html

“each car was approached by a group of men on motorcycles, who attached explosives to the vehicles and detonated them seconds later”

My point was that Stuxnet, which had minor effect, is really not that scary compared to the list of assassinations happening in clear violation of international laws. Yet Stuxnet seems to get all the news, perhaps because of its novelty compared to motorcycle bombs. That same day, little did I realize, Der Spiegel was posting a detailed look at the assassinations, assigning responsibility to Mossad in a story called “Israel’s Shadowy War on Iran: Mossad Zeros in on Tehran’s Nuclear Program”

Israel’s leaders have always worried about the possible physical annihilation of their country, and it is this perceived threat that has formed their justification for the policy of assassination, even though it constitutes a breach of international law and the sovereignty of other nations.

…the death of Iranian nuclear scientists has slowed the development of the nuclear program and sowed fear among their colleagues, many of whom subsequently failed to turn up for work on the following days.