The commander of Iran’s nuclear program for more than a decade has resigned, Iran Student News Agency reported Thursday.
Reza Aghazadeh told ISNA that he submitted his resignation 20 days ago. He said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has now accepted it. Aghazadeh, who gave no reason for his decision, was promoted to Iran’s vice president of atomic energy in 1997 under reformist President Mohammad Khatami. As head of Iran’s atomic program, Aghazadeh was practically handpicked by the senior figures in Iran’s clerical establishment and fully trusted by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. He has largely stayed out of politics and refrained from publicly taking sides amid the political turmoil that recently gripped Iran following last month’s disputed presidential vote, which triggered massive protests. His resignation is significant because it will be difficult for Iran to find someone that is both trusted by the clerical rulers and accepted by the international community.
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