Nuclear Knowledge and Industry Have Taken Root in Iran
WANA (Jul 25) – At a time when Iran’s nuclear dossier has once again become the focus of global diplomacy, former Foreign Minister and ex-head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, emphasized the enduring depth of nuclear knowledge in the country. In a recent address, Salehi highlighted the human cost and challenges of Iran’s nuclear path, stressing that “nuclear science has taken root in Iran and cannot be uprooted.”
According to Salehi, over the past two decades, Iran’s nuclear industry has not only survived but evolved—despite sanctions, sabotage, and the assassination of key scientists—into a robust scientific and technological infrastructure embedded within universities, research labs, and new generations of scholars.
“Our universities are full of professors and students in this field. Books have been written, scientific papers published, technical reports and protocols compiled. This knowledge is no longer confined to a single institution—it is woven into the scientific fabric of the nation.”
People attend an anti-Israeli protest following the Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, June 13, 2025. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
Referring to the assassinations of prominent nuclear scientists such as Dr. Ali-Mohammadi, Dr. Shahriari, Dr. Fakhrizadeh and others, Salehi noted: “They were my direct students. As a teacher, losing them was a heavy blow. Each one was a unique flower with a distinct fragrance. Replacing them is no simple task.”
With a poignant analogy, he added: “It’s like trying to eliminate the art of carpet weaving in Iran by destroying a few looms and killing a few master weavers. Is that even possible? Just as carpet weaving is part of our cultural DNA, so is nuclear science.”
While acknowledging the damage inflicted, Salehi emphasized Iran’s “immense human capital” and the country’s continuing ability to train new scientists, though he admitted that filling the vacuum left by fallen experts is a long and difficult process.
Foreign journalists visit Iran’s nuclear technology exhibition in Tehran/ WANA News Agency
“To produce another Fakhrizadeh or Zolfaghari takes 30 to 40 years—from school to university, from theory to expertise. The replacement process is neither quick nor easy.”
In conclusion, Salehi spoke of a dual sense of grief and conviction: grief for the loss of Iran’s brightest minds, and conviction in the resilience of a knowledge base that is no longer stored in vaults—but deeply rooted in the minds and hearts of a new generation of Iranians.
