Iran is hosting a conference on nuclear sciences and energy in its central province of Isfahan. The region is home to several nuclear sites and was recently targeted in an Israeli attack. The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, is set to attend the conference.

Isfahan

Iran is hosting a conference on nuclear sciences and energy in Isfahan, a central province of the country known for several nuclear facilities. This conference gathers international attention as the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, is set to attend. Isfahan, significant to Iran's nuclear program, was recently noted in international news for being the target of an Israeli attack.

Iran's nuclear endeavors have often been met with scrutiny from Western nations, notably the United States, raising concerns over the potential for these developments to extend beyond peaceful purposes. In contrast, Iran upholds that its nuclear program is strictly for peaceful initiatives. The nation positions this strategy as a step toward reducing its reliance on gas and oil, while emphatically denying pursuits of nuclear weaponry. Iranian officials assert their opposition to nuclear arms on moral and religious grounds, highlighting the contradiction of such weapons with Islamic principles.

The inception of Iran's nuclear program predates the 1979 Islamic Revolution, initiated under Shah Mohammad Reza with U.S. backing. Post-revolution, the Islamic Republic renewed its nuclear ambition in the mid-80s, leading to heightened scrutiny and pressures from Western countries. This eventually pressured Iran into opening its facilities to international inspections in the late 90s. The timeline of Iran's nuclear program reveals a complex relationship with global powers, marked by sanctions, negotiations, and landmark agreements, such as the 2015 nuclear deal which aimed at reducing Iran's nuclear capabilities in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions.

However, the 2018 decision by the U.S. to exit the nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on Iran led to an escalation in nuclear activities within the country, including increased uranium enrichment levels noted by the IAEA. This escalation is amidst a larger context of rising tensions between Iran and Israel, including recent direct confrontations, triggering debates within Iran about the necessity of a robust nuclear program as a defensive measure.



Iran hosts nuclear energy conference in Isfahan

Iran has several nuclear sites monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Western countries, the U.S. in particular, say Tehran is building up a nuclear capacity that could go beyond peaceful purposes. But Iran insists those facilities are peaceful and a part of its strategy to wean itself off gas and oil. They claim that they are afraid of our access to the nuclear weapons. They are lying. They know very well that we are not pursuing nuclear weapons. We believe that nuclear weapons are used for mass destruction. We are against the mass destruction weapons because it is contradictory to the religion. It is contradictory to Islam. Iran's nuclear program was initiated before the Islamic Revolution of 1979 by the deposed Shah Mohammad Reza, with support from the U.S. In mid-80s, the Islamic Republic revived the program. This move prompted increased pressure from the Western countries, leading Iran to open its nuclear facilities for international inspection in late 90s. In 2000, the U.S. imposed the first nuclear activity-related sanctions on Iran. During the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran expanded its nuclear facilities, and relations with the IAEA turned sour. Several Western countries reacted to that by imposing more sanctions. But this cycle of escalation stopped when centrist moderate Hassan Rouhani won the presidency in 2013. Two years later, Iran signed the historic nuclear deal with six world powers, most notably the U.S. Iran agreed to cut the number of centrifuges the Turks use for uranium enrichment by about two-thirds and significantly reduce its uranium enrichment. In return, international sanctions were lifted. But in 2018, the U.S. administration, under Donald Trump, withdrew from the deal and imposed more sanctions on Iran. As a response, Iran increased its enrichment program. There has been a force to revive the nuclear deal in recent years, but despite several rounds of negotiations in Vienna, the Turks failed. The IAEA says since then, Iran has enriched uranium above 60 percent. Ninety percent is needed for weapons grade. There has been an escalation in recent weeks between Iran and Israel triggered by the war in Gaza. Both sides have launched attacks against the other directly from their soil for the first time. And that has led to a bigger debate here in Iran about the need to have a strong nuclear program as a way to protect itself and deter its enemies.

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