Strategic Knowledge: Shield of National Power
At a time when the West—especially the United States—is insisting on overreaching claims about Iran’s nuclear program and attempting to slow or block the country’s scientific progress, Masoud Pezeshkian’s remarks to nuclear scientists carried a deep political and national significance beyond any technical or economic message. Referring to the fact that “imperialist powers deprive independent nations of advanced technologies to create lasting dependency,” he highlighted that the 14th government views scientific development not merely as a growth tool but as a foundation of national power.
Global experience has shown that in the 21st century, the boundaries of power are no longer defined solely by military arsenals, but by technological capacity, knowledge networks, and a country’s ability to produce applied science. Since its inception, nuclear energy in Iran has been more than a technical project; it has been an identity project—a domain where the Iranian nation has demonstrated its resolve to “stand on its own feet” against pressure, sanctions, aggression, and assassination.
In his remarks, Pezeshkian recalled the memory of nuclear martyrs and the Israeli regime’s assassinations, emphasizing the link between knowledge and sacrifice. This narrative frames the nuclear industry not merely as a technological endeavor but as a scientific jihad in continuity with a defensive jihad—a discourse that seeks national independence not in slogans, but through mastery over the frontiers of science and technology.
Turning Technology into National Wellbeing
A key point in the president’s speech was moving beyond a purely symbolic view of nuclear energy to highlight its human, economic, and biological applications. Pezeshkian described the nuclear industry as serving the “health improvement of the people and the production of radiopharmaceuticals,” stressing the importance of Iran entering the global market in this field.
In this perspective, technology is defined not merely as a tool of deterrence, but as a platform for national wellbeing—the moment when “indigenous knowledge” transforms into “national capital.” When Iranian radiopharmaceuticals save thousands of lives or radiation technology in agriculture boosts productivity, the concept of welfare independence is realized in practice—a form of independence rooted in domestic knowledge rather than foreign dependency.
Pezeshkian also criticized Western media narratives against Iran’s nuclear industry, highlighting the battle over perception. He noted: “Enemy propaganda has led the public to equate nuclear with atomic weapons.” This is, in effect, a smart acknowledgment that the battlefield is no longer merely on soil or in centrifuges, but in public opinion and the media. Countering this negative image requires broad and creative representation of Iran’s peaceful nuclear achievements—from radiopharmaceutical production to environmental technologies. Once the world recognizes that Iran acts in the service of human health, the lie of the “atomic threat” fades, and Iranian science becomes a universal language of peace.
In a key line from the president’s speech, “Science resides in the minds of our scholars, and even if buildings or factories are destroyed, our path of progress will not stop.” This encapsulates the 14th government’s strategic thinking about power: true strength does not rise from concrete facilities, but from the thought and self-confidence of scientists. Enemies may sanction or bomb, but they cannot occupy the mind of an Iranian scientist. This is the scientific soft power that today shapes new layers of national security from universities to industry.
The president’s visit to AEOI ahead of November 5 serves as a reminder that the struggle against global arrogance is not confined to street slogans but is embodied in scientific resilience and technological self-reliance. Global powers may attempt to obstruct Iran’s development, yet the reality on the ground is different: young Iranian scientists in nuclear, nanotechnology, biotechnology, and artificial intelligence are raising the flag of scientific independence. If Iran wishes to remain powerful, it must defend not only its geographical borders but also the frontiers of knowledge. As Pezeshkian stated, “The country’s future depends on standing at the edge of knowledge.”
NOURNEWS