Iran’s newly-elected president has reappointed a US-educated official who faced United Nations sanctions 16 years ago as head of the country’s nuclear department, state TV reported on Saturday. Mohammad Eslami, 67, will continue his role as chief of Iran’s civilian nuclear programme and serve as one of several vice presidents.
Eslami’s reappointment by President Masoud Pezeshkian occurs as Iran remains under stringent sanctions imposed by Western nations following the breakdown of the 2015 nuclear deal. This agreement aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Pezeshkian, during his presidential campaign, had expressed his commitment to reviving the nuclear deal.
In 2008, the United Nations imposed sanctions on Eslami, citing his involvement in, association with, or support for Iran’s proliferation of sensitive nuclear activities or the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems. At the time, he was leading Iran’s Defense Industries Training and Research Institute. Eslami’s initial appointment as the head of Iran’s nuclear department came in 2021 under late President Ebrahim Raisi. Prior to that, from 2018 to 2021, he served as the Transport and Urban Development Minister during the administration of former President Hassan Rouhani.
Eslami possesses extensive experience in Iran’s military industries, having held the position of deputy defense minister responsible for research and industry. He holds degrees in civil engineering from both Detroit University of Michigan and the University of Toledo in Ohio.
The United States, France, Britain, and Germany have accused Iran of escalating its nuclear activities beyond the limits agreed upon in the 2015 deal and of failing to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog. Iran, in response, has accused the US and its allies of maintaining economic sanctions that were supposed to be lifted under the deal. Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, focusing on electricity generation and radioisotope production for cancer treatment. They maintain that the IAEA continuously monitors their nuclear program.
Iran is currently constructing two nuclear power facilities to augment its sole operational 1,000-megawatt reactor located in the southern port town of Bushehr. This reactor went online with Russian assistance in 2011. Under Iran’s long-term energy plan, the country aims to achieve a 20,000-megawatt nuclear electric capacity. In recent months, Iran has faced widespread power outages across the nation.
