TEHRAN Iran held a goodbye on Saturday early morning for Dr.
Akbar Etemad, widely referred to as the daddy of Irans nuclear program.The funeral event accompanied the presence of Mohammad Eslami, Vice President and Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), together with former heads of the company, leading scientists, veterans, AEOI staff, and members of Dr.
Etemads family.Eslami paid tribute to Etemad, calling him a heart that beat for the dignity and strength of the Iranian nationone that will live on in the memory of history.Eslami emphasized that building a nations honor requires genuine and extraordinary dedication.
In todays world, where power plays are obvious and unashamed, its vital that we remain the coursewith durability, capacity, and clarity of purpose, he said.
He contrasted past diplomatic pressures with todays more outright methods, prompting continued decision in advancing Irans clinical and nationwide goals.Dr.
Akbar Etemad, who passed away at the age of 95, leaves a profound tradition in Irans nuclear advancement.
Educated in Switzerland with a doctorate in electrical engineering, Etemad made early contributions to atomic research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology before going back to Iran in 1965.
He soon ended up being a technical consultant on nuclear tasks, ultimately establishing Irans Atomic Energy Office and, in 1974, becoming the first president of the AEOIa post he held until the Islamic Revolution in 1979.
Throughout his life, Etemad was a singing defender of Irans right to peaceful nuclear energy, typically alerting against Western disturbance and highlighting the need for a principled stance in the countrys nuclear policy.
He invested his later years in France, where he passed away.
This article first appeared/also appeared in Tehran Times