Iranian Entity: Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI)

Sazeman-e Energy Atomi
Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran

Listed by the British government in 2008 as an entity of potential concern for WMD-related procurement; on July 12, 2007, added to the U.S. "Entity List" of end users whose activities impose "a risk of diverting exported and re-exported items into programs related to weapons of mass destruction," or that have been sanctioned by the U.S. State Department; listed by the Japanese government in 2007 as an entity of concern for proliferation related to missiles and biological, chemical and nuclear weapons; listed in an annex to U.N. Security Council resolution 1737 of December 23, 2006, as an entity involved in Iran's proliferation-sensitive nuclear activities; with some exceptions, the U.N. designation requires states to freeze financial assets on their territories which are owned or controlled by the entity, by its agents, or by entities it owns or controls; the U.N. designation also requires states to ensure that any funds, financial assets or economic resources are prevented from being made available by their nationals or by any persons or entities within their territories, to or for the benefit of the entity; listed by the European Union on April 19, 2007, pursuant to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1737, as an entity whose funds and economic resources, and those it owns, holds or controls, must be frozen by E.U. member states, with some exceptions, and within their jurisdiction; E.U. member states must also ensure that funds or economic resources are not made available to or for the benefit of the listed entity; listed in June 2005 by U.S. Executive Order 13382, which had the effect of freezing all of its assets held in the United States or by U.S. persons and organizations, and prohibiting any transactions involving these assets; the Executive Order also froze assets belonging to entities that, according to the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, are controlled by or act on behalf of AEOI; added in June 2005, pursuant to Executive Order 13382, to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list maintained by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, U.S. Department of the Treasury; listed as an entity of concern in an early warning document distributed by the German government to industry in May 2002, but has not been re-listed subsequently; identified by the British government in February 1998 as having procured goods and/or technology for nuclear weapon programs, in "addition to doing non-proliferation related business."

Intended recipient of radiometric ore sorting machines (2), the procurement of which (through Arya Foreign Trade Corporation - see separate entity record) was denied in January 2006 by a member state of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG); intended recipient of advisory activity on the pilot plant for the recovery of uranium from phosphate deposits, the procurement of which (through Kanavaran Mining and Industrial Company - see separate entity record) was denied on March 5, 2003, by a member state of the NSG; intended recipient of environmental test equipment and components, the procurement of which was denied on January 6, 2003, by a member state of the NSG.

The main Iranian organization for research and development activities in the field of nuclear technology; oversees two unfinished 1,200 megawatt Bushehr-1 (IR-1) and Bushehr-2 (IR-2) power reactors begun by Germany's Kraftwerk Union (KWU), a Siemens affiliate, in the mid-1970s; in 1995, contracted with the Ministry of Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation (MINATOM, which is now known as the Russian Federation Federal Agency for Atomic Energy or Rosatom), for the completion of Bushehr-1; operates the Tehran Nuclear Research Center (TNRC), the Nuclear Research Center for Technology at Isfahan (Esfahan) and oversees the Saghand uranium mine (see separate entity records); in 1995, negotiated a contract with Russia for a 30-50 megawatt light water research reactor, 2,000 tons of natural uranium, nuclear training and the delivery (now cancelled) of a gas centrifuge plant for uranium enrichment; AEOI premises in Tehran served as the location for the first phase of Iran's centrifuge enrichment program, between 1988 and 1995; according to Iran, AEOI subsidiary Kalaye Electric Company (see separate entity record) served as the location for the second phase of Iran's centrifuge enrichment program, between 1995 and 2003; claims to have contracted with a Tehran-based Iranian company to develop the more advanced P-2 centrifuge, drawings for which were received around 1995; according to Iran, work on the P-2 began after the contract between the AEOI and the private company was concluded in 2002; the contract was allegedly terminated in March 2003 and the work ended in June 2003; all related P-2 centrifuge equipment moved to Pars Trash (see separate entity record); also oversees sites where Iran conducted uranium enrichment experiments using lasers, including a laser laboratory at Lashkar Ab'ad; centrifuge assistance obtained through the foreign proliferation network headed by Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan; the 1987 offer from the network allegedly included possible supply of a disassembled centrifuge, drawings and specifications for centrifuge production, drawings, specifications and calculations for a centrifuge plant, and components for 2,000 centrifuges; the 1987 offer also made reference to auxiliary vacuum and electric drive equipment, a liquid nitrogen plant, a water treatment and purification plant, a complete set of workshop equipment for mechanical, electrical and electronic support, and uranium reconversion and casting capabilities; Iran claims that only some components, one or two disassembled centrifuges, and supporting drawings were delivered by the network, and that some of the other items listed in the offer were procured elsewhere; also received, but claims not to have requested, a document on how to reduce uranium hexafluoride to metal and how to cast and machine enriched, natural and depleted uranium metal into hemispherical forms, which is related to the production of nuclear weapon components; contact renewed with the network in 1993, through the intermediary of the State Organization for Management and Planning (OMP); components for 500 centrifuges were delivered in the mid-1990s, allegedly in a series of shipments in 1994 and 1995; according to Iran, 13 official meetings took place with the network between 1994 and 1999.

Key officials include: Said Esmail Khalilipour, Deputy Head, Seyyed Hussein Husseini, official involved in the heavy water research reactor project at Arak, Ali Reza Khanchi, Head of the Tehran Nuclear Research Center, Amir Rahimi, Head of the Esfahan Nuclear Fuel Research and Production Center, Mohammad Qannadi, Vice President for Research and Development, and Jafar Mohammadi, Technical Adviser in charge of valve production for centrifuges (see separate entity records).

Nuclear Fuel Production Division (NFPD): Research and development on the nuclear fuel cycle, including uranium exploration, mining, milling, conversion, and nuclear waste management; departments include Jaber Ibn Hayan Research Dept., Exploration and Mining Dept., Benefication and Hydrometallurgical Research Center, Nuclear Fuel Research and Production Center (Esfahan), Waste Management Dept., and Saghand Mining Dept.

Nuclear Power Plant Division (NPPD): Responsible for planning, construction, commissioning, decommissioning and nuclear safety of nuclear power plants in Iran; departments include: Engineering and Technical Supervision Department (E&TSD), responsible for design, review, evaluation and approval of engineering and technical documents, participation and quality control; Quality Assurance Department (QAD), responsible for ensuring the quality of power plant design, manufacturing, construction, commissioning and operation; Special Contracts Department (SCD), responsible for contracting for goods and services needed in nuclear power plant construction; Nuclear Services Department (NSD), responsible for training personnel for plant maintenance and operation during construction period, and involved in spare part procurement; and Project Managers (PM), responsible for overall supervision of manufacturing, construction, installation and commissioning activities.

Research Division: Responsible for planning and guiding research projects; has nine affiliated research centers: Information and Data Processing Center, Nuclear Research Center, Research Center for Lasers and their Application; Nuclear Fusion Research Center, Gamma Irradiation Center, Center for Renewable Energy Development, Nuclear Research Center for Agriculture and Medicine (Karaj), Yazd Radiation Processing Center, and Bonab Research Center.

Planning, Education and Parliament Affairs Division, which includes the International Affairs Department (IAD): Oversees cooperation with AEOI counterparts abroad and drafts documents on AEOI policies; maintains a delegation at the IAEA in Vienna and one in Moscow, Russia.