China has the most ambitious nuclear energy programs in the world but low demand for nuclear globally and the slow pace of innovation make the diffusion of advanced nuclear reactors unlikely before 2040. (environmentalprogress.org)
Furthermore, even as the industry struggles for survival, scientists and engineers who make it through the nation's few remaining nuclear energy programs draw top salaries and many job offers (see sidebar). (sciencemag.org)
The problem here was that at the time, not only did the US not want Iran to do any fuel cycle work, the US also opposed any nuclear energy program in Iran. (politics.stackexchange.com)