The Iran Primer

On July 10, reformist politician Abdollah Nouri openly challenged the benefits of Iran’s controversial nuclear program. The comments were striking because Nouri, a cleric, was long a regime insider with close ties to revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini. He also served twice as Interior Minister—from 1989 to 1993 under President Hashemi Rafsanjani and from 1997 to 1998 under President Mohammad Khatami. The interior ministry is one of the most powerful cabinet positions because it handles elections and internal security.

But in the 1990s, Nouri emerged as a leading critic of regime policies. He founded the Khordad newspaper, which advocated basic freedoms of expression and human rights. He was impeached by parliament and later tried for insulting Islam, including questioning the powers of Iran’s current Supreme Leader. In 1999, he became the senior most official to be sent to prison. He was sentenced to five years but was released early in 2002.

Nouri made his comments about Iran’s nuclear program to a group of student activists assembled at his home in Tehran. He suggested a national referendum on Iran’s disputed nuclear program. The remarks came shortly after a public poll posted by a state-controlled website (www.irinn.ir) revealed that 60 percent of Iranian respondents were in favor of suspending uranium enrichment, a key step for both peaceful nuclear energy and a weapons program. The poll was subsequently removed from the website. Here are key excerpts gathered from various news sources about Nouri’s address:

“It is quite obvious that we should have the right to pursue peaceful nuclear programs, but the question is whether it is worth sacrificing national interests for the sake of only one issue…