Iran appoints ex-transport minister Mohammad Eslami as head of nuclear agency

Iran's president on Sunday appointed former minister of transport and urban development, Mohammad Eslami, as the new director of the country's nuclear department.

Iran's president on Sunday appointed a new director of the country's nuclear department, state TV reported, replacing the nation's most prominent nuclear scientist with a minister who has no reported experience in nuclear energy but ties to the defence ministry. Iran's newly elected hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi chose Mohammad Eslami, a 64-year-old civil engineer who previously oversaw the country's road network, to lead Iran's civilian nuclear program and serve as one of several vice presidents. He succeeds Ali Akbar Salehi, a US-educated scientist who was a key player during the years of intense international diplomacy that led to Tehran's now-tattered 2015 landmark nuclear deal with world powers.