Yesterday, the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) published a translated statement from an Iranian professor criticizing his nation’s nuclear program and its stance towards Israel.

Sadegh Zibakalam, a professor of political science at the University of Tehran, made the remarks at an academic conference in May of this year.

“Other countries use nuclear knowhow too. Why is there no [international] opposition to these countries? Why has this problem become [the source] of so much trouble for Iran? The conservatives’ answer is that the West does not want Iran to enjoy an industrial and economic revolution. [However,] every country capable of enriching uranium to 3% is also capable, when it so desires, of manufacturing uranium enriched to 80%, which can be used for a nuclear bomb. Thus, the claim that the Westerners do not want Iran to advance [technologically] is [anchored in] an illusion. Iran has not made any new advances in its nuclear [program]. At Natanz and Fordo, we are [now] carrying out activity that some British scientist carried out years ago.

“If the problem has nothing to do with Iran’s progress and Iran’s economy, what is it connected to? Why does Iran’s potential capability to enrich uranium constitute a problem? [The answer is that] Iran has announced clearly that it wants to destroy Israel. Not one of the other countries with a nuclear program has ever announced that it wants to destroy another country. I do not know who gave [the job of] destroying Israel to Iran. Did the U.N. give this mission to Iran?”

In June, Zibakalam was sentenced to 18 months in prison for questioning Iran’s nuclear program. He is still appealing his sentence.

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