A Look Back Season 1 Episode 9 Iran's Manhattan Project

A Look Back season 1 episode 9, titled "Iran's Manhattan Project," delves into the history of Iran's nuclear program and its development over the years. The episode begins by exploring the Shah of Iran's ambitious plan to build a nuclear power plant in the country during the 1970s, with the help of Western countries. However, with the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the subsequent rise of Ayatollah Khomeini to power, this plan was halted, and Western countries pulled out of Iran.

The episode then moves on to the 1990s, when Iran began to secretly develop a nuclear program, with the help of countries like Russia, China, and North Korea. The program was initially focused on peaceful purposes, but suspicions grew among Western countries that Iran was using it for military purposes as well. This led to increased scrutiny and sanctions from the international community.

The episode also examines the role of Iranian scientists in developing the nuclear program, despite the risks involved. There are interviews with former Iranian scientists who were involved in the program, who describe the intense pressure they faced to keep the program secret and the risks they took to do so.

Overall, the episode provides a comprehensive look at the history of Iran's nuclear program, the international reaction to it, and the human factors involved in developing a controversial and potentially dangerous technology.