TEHRAN – Iran said goodbye on Saturday morning for Dr. Akbar Etemad, widely known as “the father of Iran’s nuclear program.”
The funeral was held in the presence of Mohammad Eslami, vice president and head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency (AEOI), and with the presence of Mohammad Eslami, along with former scientists, veterans, AEOI staff and members of the family of Dr. Etemad.
Eslami paid tribute to Etemad, calling him “a heart that inspires the dignity and strength of the Iranian nation – something that lives on in the memory of history.”
Eslami emphasized that building the honor of the nation requires integrity and extraordinary dedication. “In today’s world where power play is blatantly embarrassing, it’s important that we stay on track: resilience, ability and clarity of purpose,” he said. He contrasted past diplomatic pressures with today’s more blatant tactics, spurring a continuing resolve to advance Iran’s scientific and national goals.
Dr. Akbar Etemad, who passed away at the age of 95, leaves behind a deep legacy in Iran’s nuclear development. Etemad, who received a doctorate in electrical engineering and educated in Switzerland, made an early contribution to atomic research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology before returning to Iran in 1965. He soon became a technical advisor to the nuclear project, and in 1974 he founded the Iranian nuclear power plant, becoming the first president of AEOI.
Throughout his life, Etemad was a defender of Iran’s voice of rights to peaceful nuclear energy, often warning against Western interference, underscoring the need for a principled attitude in the country’s nuclear policy. He spent his later years in France, where he died.