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Timeline: Iran's nuclear program
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AP Photo/Ali Shaigan
With the UN's IAEA issuing stern criticisms of Iran's (formerly) secret nuclear facility at Qom and Iran's increasing obstinance - the nation recently conducted military exercises based on scenarios involving foreign strikes on its nuclear facilities at Qom and Natanz - I've decided to take a look at the history of Iran's nuclear ambitions, which have spanned more than fifty years.
Please note that my timeline is by no means comprehensive, it is meant as a broad historical ovrview. Therefore, the events listed below have been highlighted at my discretion. For a more detail-oriented timeline, please refer to my sources: Iran Nuclear Watch and Reuters, respectively.
1957 - The U.S. and Iran (then ruled by the Shah), sign the "Iran-United States Agreement for Cooperation concerning Civil Uses of Atomic Energy of 1957," and the U.S. provides Iran with a small amount of enriched uranium.
1967 - Iran builds the Tehran Nuclear Research Center (TNRC). Its 5-megawatt research reactor goes critical in November of that year.
1974 - The Shah announces a plan to build 23 nuclear reactors as a substitute for oil-based energy.
May 15, 1974 - Iran signs a "safeguards" agreement with the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as part of the Nonproliferation Treaty "for the exclusive purpose of verifying that [fissionable] material is not diverted to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices."
1975 - Work begins on two nuclear reactors at Bushehr, according to a contract signed with West Germany's Kraftwerk Union.
1977 - The United States and Iran agree to cooperate by sharing nuclear technology and research, under the auspices of nuclear safety.
1978 - U.S. company Lischem acquires a license to export four gas lasers to Iran. While the lasers are supposedly to be used for lab research, they can be modified to enrich uranium. The same year, the U.S. government agrees to supply Iran with equipment and technology for its nuclear energy program.
1979 - Iran's Islamic Revolution topples the Shah's government. The revolutionary government decides that nuclear energy is unnecessary, and cancels all nuclear energy projects, research, contracts and imports. It even refuses to accept Lischem's gas lasers.
1984-1987 - During the Iran-Iraq War, the Iraqi air force bombs the unfinished Bushehr reactor sites no fewer than six times.
1985 - In a sudden reversal, Iran joins Libya and Syria in agreeing to build nuclear weapons to counter the threat posed by Israeli weapons. Israel has an undeclared nuclear weapons program. While it has never officially admitted to possessing nuclear weapons, the international community is generally in agreement that Israel possesses nuclear capabilities. Around this time, Iran also begins working with North Korea on its nuclear development.
1991 - China provides uranium hexafluoride to Iran. It reports its first shipment to the IAEA, but does not report a second, larger shipment, which includes other materials.
1995 - Iran signs an agreement with Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy to resume work on a reactor at Bushehr.
1998 - The U.S. Congress passes the Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998.
2002 - Russian workers begin construction at Bushehr.
2003 - Iran's program for enriching uranium and its facilities at Natanz are revealed to the public. Iranian President Mohammad Khatami invites IAEA inspectors to visit the Natanz facility.
Februrary 27, 2003 - Nuclear inspectors visit Iran, and find no evidence of Iran diverting material to construct nuclear weapons. They do express concern about certain research tendencies leaning toward weapons development, including Iranian acquisition of information about casting uranium into hemispheres.
May 2, 2003 - Iran faxes a letter to the U.S. through Swiss diplomats (the U.S. does not maintain normalized diplomatic relations with Iran), offering to cooperate on nulcear issues, stop support for militant Palestinean groups and recognize Israel in exchange for "broad dialogue." The U.S. does not respond.
October 2003 - Iran begins negotiations with Britain, France and Germany. The EU countries are determined to prevent the emergence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program.
November 2004 - Iran agrees to suspend almost all of its nuclear enrichment under the Iran-EU agreement.
August 2005 - Iran decides to resume nuclear enrichment at the uranium conversion facility in Esfahan.
January 2006 - Britain, France and Germany call the resumption of enrichment a "clear rejection" of the preceding diplomatic negotiations.
March 2006 - U.S. President George W. Bush's National Security Statement (NSS) states "[the proliferation of nuclear weapons poses the greatest threat to our national security. Nuclear weapons are unique in their capacity to inflict instant loss of life on a massive scale. For this reason, nuclear weapons hold special appeal to rogue states and terrorists [...] We may face no greater challenge from a single country than from Iran."
April 11, 2006 - Iranian President Ahmadinejad claims that Iran has successfully enriched uranium at its Natanz facilitiy.
June 6, 2006 - The U.S., China, France, Britain, Germany and Russia offer both diplomatic and economic concessions if Iran will suspend nuclear enrichment. These incentives include helping Iran join the World Trade Organization (WTO) and lifting restrictions on certain imports (such as aircraft parts).
August 22, 2006 - Iran responds to the offer with a 21-page memo delivered to each nation's embassy (the United States recieves its response through the Swiss). Details are not publicized.
September 26, 2006 - Russia and Iran agree to bring the Bushehr nuclear plant on line in September, 2007.
November 8, 2006 - After his Republican party loses major ground in mid-term elections, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is replaced by Robert Gates. Gates co-authored a 2004 report that stated “the current lack of sustained engagement with Iran harms U.S. interests in a critical region of the world and that direct dialogue with Tehran on specific areas of mutual concern should be pursued.”
April 9, 2007 - Iran announces that that it has brought 3,000 centrifuges online for the express purpose of enriching uranium.
2008 - Diplomatic maneuvering continues, both in and out of the UN, with no significant result. A potential solution to the Iranian nuclear issue slowly emerges - the idea of Iran sending uranium to be enriched elsewhere.
September 25, 2009 - Iran reveals the existence of another nuclear enrichment facility near the city of Qom.
October 21, 2009 - The IAEA presents Iran with a draft for a deal to send uranium to Russia and France for enrichment. Iran is initially receptive, but responds later that it will not send uranium abroad. Iran insists that it will still consider exchaning uranium for enrich uranium within its borders.
November 2009 - Iran conducts war games based around scenarious involving foreign attacks on its nuclear facilities.
November 27, 2009 - The IAEA votes overwhelmingly to censure Iran for its secret development of the Fordo plant, and to demand that it freezes the project.
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