Moles of Diatomic Molecules [duplicate]

Does "Mole of Iodine" or any other element that normally appears as diatomic molecules refer to a mole of single atoms ($6.02\times 10^{23}$ iodine atoms) or a mole of the molecules ($6.02\times 10^{23}$ molecules of $I_2$)?

EDIT: If there is no specification of moles of atoms or moles of molecules, what do I do? Do I default to one of them?

e.g. in this question

For the combustion of sucrose:

$\ce{C12H22O11 + 12O2 -> 12CO2 + 11H2O}$

there are 10.0 g of sucrose and 10.0 g of oxygen reacting. Which is the limiting reagent?

• It depends on context. Mole is simply a unit. – Mithoron Jun 12 '16 at 15:56
• Thanks for the link, I've edited the question to clarify. – ThirtyOneTwentySeven Jun 12 '16 at 16:50
• sigh If not specified otherwise it's about atoms and iodine is simply treated as element, not collection of molecules, as it doesn't have to be molecular. – Mithoron Jun 12 '16 at 16:57

Good practice is to nip the problem in the bud by precisely defining what you are counting. Thus, properly, one mole of $\ce{I_2}$ molecules contains two moles of iodine atoms.