Iran launches nuclear energy website, denies weapons bid

As talks between world powers and Iran in Geneva reach a crescendo, the Islamic Republic on Friday launched its first English-language webpage aimed at explaining its position on nuclear power to the West.

The site, nuclearenergy.ir, combines edgy graphics with information from the Iranian government about the history, motives and nuclear facilities operated by Tehran. Despite the country’s stringent limitations on freedom of speech, the website offers insight into “Iranian public opinion” about the country’s nuclear energy program.

In its section entitled “Controversies,” the website states that “The West and Israel have stepped up their accusations that Tehran is covertly trying to develop atomic weapons,” which the site thereafter denies.

Far stronger criticism of Israel can be found, however, in a section labeled “In memory,” in which it lists assassinations of Iranian scientists “attributed to Israeli and Western intelligence agencies.” The deaths of all four men are pinned on Israeli intelligence.

The site’s Twitter feed announced that the page would include the “most detailed outline of nuclear proposals on the Internet” and “infographics on history of Iran/EU3/P5+1 proposals among other exclusive material.”

http://t.co/iYxIMamirS features infographics on history of Iran/EU3/P5+1 proposals among other exclusive material

— Iran Nuclear Energy (@nuclearenergyir) November 8, 2013

One journalist in Tehran remarked that nucleariran.ir was “one of the most sophisticated websites in Iran to date.”

During the hours after its launch, nuclearenergy.ir suffered technical difficulties and could intermittently not be accessed.