▁state ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁ ▁History ▁Iran ' s ▁nuclear ▁program ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁Cold ▁War ▁al liance ▁between ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁the ▁Shah ▁of ▁Iran , ▁Moh amm ad ▁Re za ▁P ah la vi , ▁who ▁emer ged ▁as ▁an ▁important ▁US ▁al ly ▁in ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁G ulf . ▁Under ▁the ▁At oms ▁for ▁Peace ▁program , ▁Iran ▁received ▁basic ▁nuclear ▁research ▁facilities ▁from ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁In ▁return , ▁Te h ran ▁signed ▁the ▁Tre aty ▁on ▁the ▁Non - Pro l ifer ation ▁of ▁N uc lear ▁We ap ons ▁( N PT ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁Fue led ▁by ▁high ▁oil ▁prices ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁Iran ▁sought ▁to ▁purchase ▁large - scale ▁nuclear ▁facilities ▁from ▁Western ▁supp liers ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁develop ▁nuclear ▁power ▁and ▁fuel - cycle ▁facilities ▁with ▁both ▁civil ian ▁and ▁potential ▁military ▁applications . ▁In ▁March ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁the ▁sh ah ▁established ▁the ▁At omic ▁Energy ▁Organ ization ▁of ▁Iran ▁( AE O I ). ▁S ens ing ▁a ▁height ened ▁risk ▁of ▁nuclear ▁pro l ifer ation , ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁convinced ▁Western ▁al lies ▁to ▁limit ▁the ▁export ▁of ▁nuclear ▁fuel - cycle ▁facilities ▁to ▁Iran . ▁Supreme ▁Le ader ▁Ay atol lah ▁Ru hol lah ▁K home ini , ▁whose ▁revolution ▁disp la ced ▁the ▁Shah ' s ▁mon archy ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁and ▁ruled ▁the