Why Iran's Civil Nuclear Plan Is Far From Dead

Despite recent U.S. strikes, Iran's civilian nuclear programme remains intact and active. Tehran vows to accelerate development, suspending IAEA cooperation, as it reasserts nuclear ambitions rooted in Cold War alliances and post-revolution resilience.

- TDG NETWORK

Three days after a targeted U.S. military strike using bunker-buster bombs hit Iranian nuclear infrastructure, it is becoming increasingly clear that Iran's civil nuclear programme is far from being destroyed. Rather, all indications from Tehran suggest that not only is the programme still alive, but it may be back in full swing within months. With Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf declaring that the country would now accelerate its civilian nuclear programme, the message from Iran to the international community—particularly Washington and Tel Aviv—is unambiguous: Tehran is not stepping back.

Qalibaf's additional announcement that the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI) will suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) unless the security of nuclear sites is guaranteed has escalated concerns in diplomatic and nuclear watchdog circles. This move marks a dramatic moment in an already strained relationship between Iran and the West over nuclear ambitions that stretch back over half a century.

A Programme Rooted in Western Support Ironically, Iran's nuclear ambitions began not as an act of defiance against the West, but as a Western-backed initiative. In the early 1960s, under U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's 'Atoms for Peace' programme, Iran—then ruled by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi—received significant nuclear support from the United States. The programme was aimed at spreading peaceful nuclear technology among America's allies during the Cold War to deter Soviet influence. Iran was one of the key recipients.