TEHRAN -- Iran’s president on Sunday appointed a new director of the country’s nuclear department, replacing the nation’s most prominent nuclear scientist with a minister with ties to the defense ministry.
Iran’s newly elected President Ebrahim Raisi chose Muhammad Eslami, a 64-year-old civil engineer from Isfahan who previously oversaw the country’s road network, to lead Iran’s civilian nuclear program and serve as one of several vice presidents. He succeeds Ali Akbar Salehi.
During the tenure of former President Hassan Rouhani, Eslami served as Transport and Urban Development Minister. Before joining the Cabinet in 2018, he worked for years in Iran’s military industries, most recently as the deputy defense minister responsible for research and industry.
He holds degrees in civil engineering from Detroit University of Michigan and the University of Toledo, Ohio. Iranian media did not report details of Eslami’s experience in the nuclear field, but his engineering background speaks to the country’s renewed focus on power plant construction at a time when rolling electrical blackouts have plagued the country.
Iran is building two nuclear power facilities to supplement its sole operational 1,000-megawatt reactor at the southern port town of Bushehr, which went online with Russia’s help in 2011. Under its long-term energy plan, Iran aims to reach 20,000-megawatt nuclear electric capacity.