Iran Nuclear Milestones - 1967-2000
The
Risk
Report
Volume
6
Number
4
(July-August
2000)
1967:
Start-up
of
the
U.S.-supplied
5-megawatt
research
reactor
at
Tehran
University.
1970:
Iran
signs
the
Nuclear
Nonproliferation
Treaty
(NPT).
1974:
Atomic
Energy
Organization
of
Iran
(AEOI)
is
established.
1979:
German
construction
of
the
Bushehr
reactors
is
suspended
because
of
the
Islamic
revolution.
1980: Iraq invades Iran and triggers a war that lasts eight years.
1987-88: Bushehr reactors are heavily damaged by Iraqi bombing raids.
1990: Iran signs a ten-year nuclear cooperation agreement with China.
1992: After a week-long inspection in Iran, an IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) team finds no evidence that Iran has a nuclear weapon program.
1993:
The
Central
Intelligence
Agency
(CIA)
says
Iran
is
8-10
years
away
from
acquiring
nuclear
weapons
and
says
foreign
assistance
will
be
critical
to
the
effort.
1994:
Iran
signs
a
contract
with
China's
National
Nuclear
Corporation
for
the
supply
of
two
300-megawatt
power
reactors
and
continues
to
shop
for
a
heavy
water
research
reactor.
1995:
President
Clinton
issues
an
executive
order
imposing
an
economic
embargo
on
Iran,
barring
trade,
investment
and
the
purchase
of
Iranian
oil
by
U.S.
companies.
1995:
Iran
signs
a
contract
with
Russia
to
complete
one
of
the
Bushehr
reactors
and
tries
to
buy
a
uranium
enrichment
plant.
January
1997:
China
cancels
plans
to
build
a
nuclear
power
plant
in
Iran.
January
1997:
200
Russian
engineers
lay
the
groundwork
for
the
construction
of
a
light-water
VVER-1000
reactor
in
Bushehr.
February 1997: President Ali Akbar Hashemi-Rafsanjani says Iran is not interested in developing a nuclear bomb or chemical/biological weapons.
August
1997:
The
IAEA
finds
no
evidence
of
clandestine
or
undeclared
military
nuclear
activity
at
research
reactors
in
Bonab
and
Ramsar
in
northern
Iran.
February
1998:
American
pressure
forces
Turboatom,
a
Ukrainian
manufacturer
of
steam
turbines,
to
abandon
its
$45
million
deal
to
supply
turbines
to
Bushehr.
April
1998:
Russia
proposes
to
build
a
research
reactor
in
Iran
using
20%
enriched
uranium.
October
1998:
Western
intelligence
is
reported
to
believe
that
the
Atomic
Energy
Organization
of
Iran
(AEOI)
is
mounting
an
effort
to
procure
equipment
for
laser
enrichment
of
nuclear
materials.
February
1999:
The
United
States
imposes
sanctions
on
ten
Russian
entities
for
alleged
sales
of
nuclear
and
missile
technology
to
Iran.
April
1999:
The
Izhorskiye
Zavod
machine-building
company
of
St.
Petersburg
begins
production
of
equipment
for
the
primary
circuit
at
Bushehr,
including
the
reactor
vessel,
steam
generator
casing,
and
internals.
October
1999:
Iran
threatens
to
withhold
further
nuclear
contracts
from
Russia
for
failing
to
complete
the
Bushehr
plant
in
time.
January
2000:
The
CIA
speculates
that
Iran
might
be
able
to
make
a
nuclear
weapon.
The
finding
isn't
apparently
based
on
reliable
evidence,
but
on
the
fact
that
it
is
unable
to
track
Iran's
covert
efforts
to
acquire
nuclear
materials
and
technology
on
the
international
black
market.
January
2000:
Iran
announces
that
it
is
no
longer
working
with
China
on
nuclear
projects.
February
2000:
The
U.S.
Senate
approves
legislation
that
would
impose
sanctions
on
entities
assisting
Iran's
chemical,
biological
and
nuclear
weapons
programs.
February
2000:
Russia's
Ministry
of
Atomic
Energy
acknowledges
that
the
Bushehr
project
is
running
18
months
behind
schedule.
April
2000:
The
Czech
government,
under
pressure
from
the
United
States,
bans
companies
from
supplying
parts
to
Bushehr.
The
ZVVZ
Milevsko
company
had
planned
to
provide
Bushehr
with
air
conditioning
equipment.
June
2000:
Russia's
deputy
minister
for
atomic
energy
says
the
Bushehr
plant
will
be
completed
in
2002.
Russia
is
expected
to
earn
$1
billion
from
the
project.
August
2000:
In
its
report
on
worldwide
proliferation,
the
CIA
says
Iran
sought
nuclear-related
equipment,
material,
and
technical
expertise
from
a
variety
of
sources,
especially
in
Russia,
during
the
second
half
of
1999,
and
that
Russian
entities
continued
to
interact
with
Iranian
research
centers
on
various
activities.