How the US fueled Iran’s nuclear program decades ago | Explained

US President Donald Trump has had to deal with issues related to Iran’s nuclear program, a problem that began many years ago. Interestingly, the United States played a part in starting Iran’s nuclear development. In the 1960s, during President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s time, the US launched a plan called “Atoms for Peace.” This program aimed to share nuclear technology with friendly countries to support their development and strengthen alliances during the Cold War.

Under this plan, the US gave Iran a small nuclear reactor called the Tehran Research Reactor, meant only for peaceful scientific work. This reactor has not been attacked by Israel. The US also helped other countries like Israel and Pakistan by providing nuclear training and technology for civilian purposes. Iran’s nuclear program began many years ago and was once seen as a symbol of national pride and progress. However, many countries, especially the U.S., later became worried that it could also be used to make nuclear weapons.

What US official said 

A former U.S. official, Robert Einhorn, said, “We gave Iran its starter kit.” At that time, the United States wasn’t too concerned about the spread of nuclear technology. It shared nuclear knowledge and equipment with friendly countries under a program called “Atoms for Peace.” This program was launched in 1953 by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. In a speech at the United Nations, he said that nuclear energy should be used for peaceful purposes like medicine and electricity, not for war. He said, “It is not enough just to take this weapon out of the hands of soldiers. It must be put into the hands of those who will use it for peace.”

However, some historians believe the speech also helped the U.S. justify building more nuclear weapons of its own. Eisenhower was influenced by scientists like J. Robert Oppenheimer, who helped develop the atomic bomb during World War II. At that time, Iran was ruled by Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, a king who supported modern and Western ideas. He was close to the U.S. and made many changes in Iran, like promoting Western education, banning the veil for women, encouraging modern art, and supporting science and technology. He believed in using nuclear power peacefully and invested a lot of money in it. Many Iranian scientists were even sent to study at top U.S. universities, including MIT.

By the 1970s, Iran’s nuclear program had grown quickly. It signed big deals with European countries, including a billion-dollar plan with France to build five nuclear reactors. Although the U.S. had signed a treaty to stop the spread of nuclear weapons, Iran’s leader, Shah Pahlavi, said Iran had the right to make its nuclear fuel. He said restrictions were a threat to Iran’s independence, a view still held by Iran today.

Iran also contacted Germany and South Africa for nuclear help. In 1978, the U.S. under President Jimmy Carter changed its deal with Iran. The new deal said Iran could not reprocess U.S. nuclear fuel without permission, stopping it from turning fuel into bomb material. But the reactors were never delivered. In 1979, the Islamic Revolution overthrew the Shah. The new leaders, led by Ayatollah Khomeini, were not interested in nuclear energy at first.

Later, during Iran’s war with Iraq, Khomeini saw nuclear technology as important. Iran turned to Pakistan, where scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan sold Iran machines to enrich uranium, a key step to making bombs. Gary Samore, a former U.S. nuclear advisor, said this was the turning point. He explained that Iran’s enrichment program came from Pakistan, not the U.S. Still, Iran’s nuclear journey began with American support. By 2002, Iran’s secret nuclear sites were exposed, leading the U.S. and Europe to demand that it stop uranium enrichment.

Even after years of talks and recent U.S.-Israel airstrikes, the issue remains unresolved. Trump claimed Iran’s nuclear sites were destroyed, but reports say key parts are still intact. Samore also warned that the U.S. must be careful with countries like Saudi Arabia, which says it wants nuclear energy but could use the technology for weapons. Giving such help, he said, would set a dangerous example.