Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI)

Established in 1973, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has operational control over Iran’s civilian nuclear program. The organization’s original purpose was to oversee the planned implementation of a 23,000 MWe nuclear program under the Shah. ¹ The body has five separate divisions: (1) Research Division; (2) Nuclear Power Plant Division; (3) Nuclear Fuel Production Division; (4) Planning, Education and Parliament Affairs Division; and (5) Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Division. ²

In 1998, AEOI officials met with A.Q. Khan to negotiate the purchase of centrifuge enrichment technology. ³ The organization also owned the companies Iran used for secret centrifuge research, such as Pars Trash and the Kalaye Electric Company. ⁴ The AEOI has actively attempted to provide Iran with access to foreign nuclear technology and negotiated, for example, cooperation agreements with Russia and China. ⁵ The organization also owns numerous front and false-flag companies, which it uses for illicit procurement operations in order to circumvent international sanctions. ⁶ The AEOI is the target of both U.S. and UN sanctions.

In February 2013, head of the AEOI Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani announced that Iran has identified 16 sites for the construction of nuclear power plants, and will provide the IAEA with design information questionnaires (DIQs) for all proposed plants. ⁷