Explicit Opposition to Iran's Nuclear Program at Tehran University Nuclear Conference

Three speakers at a conference on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program held on Wednesday, December 17, in Tehran, explicitly opposed Iran's nuclear program, stating that it has harmed the country more than the eight-year war with Iraq. This is the first time in the past decade that opponents of Iran's nuclear program have had the opportunity to publicly express their dissent on a large scale within the country. Ahmad Shirzad, a former parliament member, stated at the conference that Iran lacks both the primary resources for nuclear technology and expertise in the technology itself. Sadegh Zibakalam, a university professor, also emphasized that the 'nuclear issue' has harmed the country more than the eight-year war with Iraq. Davood Hormidass Bavand, another university professor, stressed that Hassan Rouhani has the duty to peacefully resolve Iran's nuclear dispute. According to Iranian news agencies, Cyrus Naseri, a member of Iran's nuclear negotiation team during Mohammad Khatami's presidency, was also supposed to speak at the conference but could not attend due to 'scheduling conflicts' with his flight. Ahmad Shirzad, a member of the sixth parliament, referred to his previous statements, saying that 'no water comes from the nuclear well except for some to make bread for a few, but a glass of water is a rarity.' He added, 'In 2000, when I entered the Islamic Consultative Assembly, I asked everyone about our strategy regarding nuclear issues, but I received no answers, and everyone deferred to others.' This physics professor, who holds a PhD in particle physics from Sharif University of Technology, also stated that extracting uranium from a depth of 300 meters costs Iran ten times the global price. Some people sit in a closed room thinking they are the wisest while making decisions for a nation, which is why 20 years have passed since Iran's nuclear policy began, and we are still here. Ahmad Shirzad has previously criticized Iran's nuclear program, including a notable speech he made in the sixth parliament. In that speech, he stated, 'They have created an image of a regime that lies and does not adhere to its commitments to the international community... A few days ago, some European newspapers had headlines claiming that the Islamic Republic of Iran lied to the world for 19 years.' Shirzad also mentioned in an interview with the Italian newspaper 'La Repubblica' that 'extracting one kilogram of raw uranium from Yazd mines costs Iran $130, while the global market price for a kilogram of yellowcake is just over $20.' This former parliament member continued his remarks on Wednesday by saying, 'We need weak radioactive sources for medical and research purposes, and that is sufficient for us, and we never had problems obtaining these sources before the sanctions.' He stated, 'Where are the claims that nuclear energy influences 200 other fields and activates them? Those who make this claim should come and name a few of these fields and the impacts that nuclear energy has had on our industries so far.' This university professor lamented that the nuclear discussion in the country has become 'sacred,' adding, 'When something becomes sacred, it cannot be discussed, and this has been our problem for the past 11 years.' Hours after the news of the Tehran University roundtable was published, the Fars News Agency, affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, released interviews reacting to the statements made at the roundtable. Hossein Shariatmadari, the editor-in-chief of Kayhan newspaper, described the remarks of Ahmad Shirzad and Sadegh Zibakalam at Tehran University as an attempt by what he called 'reformist claimants' to encourage the government to 'betray.' He urged Hassan Rouhani's government to 'disavow' the statements of these two individuals. Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor at Tehran University, also stated at the conference on Wednesday that the 'nuclear issue' has harmed the country more than the eight-year war with Iraq. Nuclear activities have not been beneficial for the country since at least 2003, neither in terms of scientific progress nor economically, and perhaps the issues raised have been detrimental to us. Zibakalam noted that the government had two arguments regarding the nuclear issue: one was that the nuclear program would lead to significant scientific advancements, and the second was that it would create numerous industries in the country. Ahmadinejad once claimed that the nuclear issue would create 250 industries, thus implying that the West opposes us because they cannot see our progress. He emphasized, 'I have repeatedly asked the principlists to name at least one of these 250 industries that nuclear energy has created. There has been no scientific advancement or innovation regarding the nuclear issue, not only in Iran but in no country.' Zibakalam asserted, 'Nuclear activities have not been beneficial for the country since at least 2003, neither in terms of scientific progress nor economically, and perhaps the issues raised have been detrimental to us.' He added, 'In the face of all the threats we have faced, we have only said that Islam opposes nuclear weapons, and the scholars and the Supreme Leader have issued a fatwa declaring nuclear weapons to be forbidden, and even a simple cleric knows that a fatwa is time-bound.' This university professor reminded that 'for the first time,' it is allowed to speak about the nuclear issue in independent forums outside the government, which is an achievement that has come with the advent of the eleventh government. Zibakalam continued his remarks by stating, 'When the Geneva agreement was reached, the worried faction emerged... However, this atmosphere allowed people like me to criticize the eight-year nuclear policies of Ahmadinejad's government.' Since the beginning of Iran's nuclear negotiations under Rouhani's administration, principlists, especially the hardline faction of the Stability Front, have expressed severe criticisms of the performance of the nuclear negotiation team. For instance, on July 23, participants in the 'Red Lines' conference harshly attacked the Iranian nuclear negotiation team. Earlier, a similar conference titled 'We Are Worried' was held on May 3, featuring several representatives from the Stability Front. Davood Hormidass Bavand, a university professor, also rejected claims comparing Iran's nuclear activities to the nationalization of the oil industry. He stated, 'What happened during Mossadegh's government was a kind of legitimate struggle based on international law, but in the nuclear issue, the resistance against bullying has led to a situation where, in the long run, other legitimate rights of Iran have been diminished, and each time negotiations fail, new sanctions against the country gain legitimacy.' This university professor said, 'Rouhani is responsible before history and the people... and has the duty to peacefully and constructively resolve the nuclear issue.' Following the reactions to this conference, the representative of the Supreme Leader at Tehran University described the statements made at the Faculty of Literature roundtable as 'simplistic,' adding, 'We should not use these excuses to surrender to the enemy.' According to Fars News Agency, Ebrahim Kalantari added, 'In today's world, even issues much less significant than the nuclear issue can become a matter of honor for countries. In my opinion, it is a simplistic statement to say why the nuclear issue has been made sacred or that the nuclear issue is not beneficial for us.' The holding of this conference coincided with the first session of a seven-month negotiation period with the 1+5 group on Wednesday, December 17, in Geneva, Switzerland. The deadline for negotiations between Iran and the 1+5 expired on November 24, but the parties extended the discussions for another seven months to reach a comprehensive nuclear agreement.