Physics and Astronomy Calendar

Many analysts agree that Iran has pursued a nuclear weapons capability for decades, arguably for reasons of deterrence, domestic politics, and prestige. There is little agreement, however, on who drove and controlled the program. While the Supreme Leader, at first Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and since 1989 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, made final decisions on nuclear matters, he relied on advisers, who held diverse views on the nuclear program. This presentation analyzes the history of the Iranian nuclear program from the Iranian Revolution in 1979 to the present and argues that scientists and engineers associated with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) have driven the program at critical turning points. The presentation focuses on the interactions between AEOI scientists and managers, clerics, and other members of Iran's nuclear policy elite to highlight the complexity of nuclear decision making in Iran. Furthermore, it emphasizes the significance of the nuclear establishment as a driving force behind the country's nuclear aspirations. This study is part of a larger project on the role of scientists and engineers as drivers of nuclear proliferation.