Eight Notions about Iran’s Nuclear Program
WANA (Jul 25) – Iran’s nuclear file stands as one of the most complex political cases in contemporary world history. The multifaceted dimensions of this file have stretched across five continents over more than seven decades.
Iran’s cooperation and confrontation with other countries in the realm of nuclear development illuminate various aspects of political relations, from the United States’ early arming of Iran with nuclear technology to contain the Soviet Union during the Cold War, to competing over becoming West Asia’s future leading powers in an emerging multipolar order.
In this text, we have outlined eight recurring and significant notions centered on nuclear programs, notions that have preoccupied the minds of both statesmen and ordinary citizens across different eras, and notions that have at times caused division and confrontation among political factions and segments of society.
Atom Means Modernity
The Pahlavi regime sought to modernize the country at an unprecedented pace, and from its perspective, achieving a full nuclear fuel cycle was one of the symbols of that modernity. The nuclear program was among the most ambitious undertakings of the Iranian government, pursuing various political and economic objectives.
Numerous transactions and agreements were made between the government and countries, large and small, for the purchase, equipping, maintenance, and repair of nuclear facilities and uranium.
Many of these dealings were official, while others were conducted in secrecy; beyond the United States, Germany, France, and Russia, the names of many other countries appear in these exchanges, including India, Argentina, Denmark, Australia, and South Africa.
Centrifuge and missile models are displayed during the 46th anniversary of the U.S. expulsion from Iran, in Tehran, Iran, November 4, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
According to surviving historical sources, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi also engaged in covert efforts toward the development of nuclear weapons, which became one of the roots of his disagreement with the U.S. administration.
The substantial expenses that the Pahlavi government incurred in advancing the country’s nuclear program underscore its perceived importance in military deterrence, political power, and the pursuit of economic goals.
Atom Means Sanctions and Resolutions
In the years following the Islamic Revolution and the eight-year war with Iraq, all international contracts were terminated, either by foreign countries or by the Iranian government itself, and Iran’s nuclear activity slowed down and faded into the background.
Iran’s nuclear file re-emerged in the spotlight years later when the Bush administration in the United States, by promoting the term “Axis of Evil,” turned media and public attention toward Iran’s nuclear facilities. Mohammad Khatami’s government immediately appointed a team headed by Hassan Rouhani to lead the negotiations.
Despite all of Iran’s efforts to build trust, the Board of Governors issued a harsh resolution against Iran, and as negotiations continued, despite the most extensive global inspections, the highest number of visits, and the most advanced monitoring equipment ever imposed on a country, numerous further resolutions and sanctions were enacted against the nation.
The Issue Is Not Nuclear Program; It Is Confronting the Unjust World Order
WANA (Dec 27) – Iran’s Supreme Leader stated: The main reason for the turmoil of corrupt and corrupting bullies is not the nuclear issue; rather, it is the raising of the flag of confronting the unjust order and the domination of the hegemonic system in the world, and Iran’s turn toward a just national and […]
Atom Means Militancy
The administration of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the political mindset he represented ended the voluntary suspension and reopened previously sealed facilities. This escalation intensified Iran’s confrontation with the West. Negotiating teams continued their efforts, but the West’s sanctions policy against Iran remained unaltered.
During this period, in the eyes of Western governments, Western public opinion, and even some segments of Iranian society, the insistence on continuing the nuclear program was interpreted as fanning the flames of discord and militancy.
The First World countries, which themselves enjoyed the blessings of nuclear energy, many of which had built atom bombs, and in the case of the United States, had even used nuclear weapons militarily and openly, had now established arrangements to prevent other nations from accessing the same nuclear benefits.
Atom Means Progress
Simultaneously with the extensive Western media campaign against Iran’s nuclear program, Iranian media began producing news and reports on the benefits of nuclear energy in various fields including health, industry, agriculture, and medicine, and sought to direct public attention to the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and its contributions to national progress, aiming to rally society behind it as much as possible.
The efforts of this group echo the struggles of the statesmen who fought for the nationalization of Iran’s oil industry. At that time, the British government had imposed colonial contracts on the oil industry and sought to convince Iranians that they had no need for oil, and in this way blocked the country’s right to this vital asset.
Iran’s dependency, along with that of other Global South nations, on Western governments’ perspectives regarding the use of their natural resources reminds us that we are still living in an era of colonialism. A colonialism more subtle than that of the twentieth century, whose instruments have changed but whose essence remains fundamentally the same.
Iran’s Nuclear Achievements: From Uranium to Radiopharmaceuticals
WANA (Apr 09) – April 9 is marked in the Iranian calendar as National Nuclear Technology Day—a date that signified a turning point in one of the world’s most sensitive technological arenas. In 2006, Iran officially announced that it had achieved peaceful nuclear technology and launched a complete uranium enrichment cycle. In the global discourse, […]
Atom Means War
Now, in the aftermath of two major military strikes by the United States and the occupying regime of Israel against our country, which inflicted immense human and material loss, the connection between war and the nuclear program has become ingrained in the language of many Western media discourses and in the minds of many Iranians.
It is as if the war occurred solely because of the pursuit of the nuclear program. Believers in this narrative, whether knowingly or unknowingly, overlook the fact that in the negotiations, Iran had agreed to conditions that would have severely limited the nuclear program and effectively halted it entirely for many years.
Atom Means National Pride
Throughout years of harsh pressure, sanctions, overt and covert wars, assassinations, and military and cyber assaults, Iranian scientists managed to advance the country’s nuclear program and develop and manufacture many of the industry’s needs domestically.
Generations strived along this path, and even in the face of brutal assassinations, they did not relent. Today, Iran’s nuclear program stands as the enduring legacy of those efforts, a mirror of Iranian engineers’ and scientists’ capabilities, and for many, a source of pride and honor.
Atom Means Peace
Looking at the experiences of other countries proves to us that not only did the nuclear program not cause the war, but it was its suspension over the years and the failure to reap its ultimate fruits that brought war upon the country. From the perspective of many Iranians, the only guarantee of peace is the advancement of the nuclear program.
According to many military strategists, the atom bomb is a weapon designed not to be used; in other words, a weapon for peace. If we look at Ukraine today, it was only after it dismantled the nuclear weapons left over from the Soviet era that Russia invaded the country. No full-scale war in modern history has been waged against a nuclear-armed state.
Fordow: A Target for a Tactical Nuclear Bomb?
WANA (Jul 11) – A member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has spoken of an incident which, if true, would mark a turning point in Iran’s regional security dynamics: the use of a tactical nuclear bomb against the Fordow nuclear facility. Abolfazl Zohrevand has claimed that the recent U.S.-Israeli strike on […]
In recent years, a campaign called “Just One Number” has been launched by Abolfazl Bazargan, a professor at the University of Tehran, which has sought to bring the demand for nuclear weapons to the forefront of public discourse.
Atom Means a Strong Iran
Many politicians and Iranians believe that despite all the costs incurred in pursuing the nuclear program, today it is essential for the country’s industrial, economic, military, and energy development.
A powerful Iran of tomorrow, above all, needs deterrence and security, so that in the shadow of that security, the country’s progress can be accelerated. The Islamic Republic of Iran has faced constant security threats since its very inception, and the country’s future will be shaped in these critical present moments.
Baghaei: Iran’s Priority is Defense; Diplomacy Was Betrayed Three Times by the US
WANA (Jul 23) – In an exclusive interview, Esmaeil Baghaei, the Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, addressed key regional and international developments. Speaking on the foreign policy challenges facing Tehran, Baghaei elaborated on the recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States and its subsequent […]
