The Nuclear Program of Iran Essay Example

heavy water production plant. Over the years, Iran made consistent advancements in converting and enriching Uranium, eventually achieving an enrichment level close to 20% by 2010.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) found Iran to be in violation of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. Consequently, the UN Security Council issued resolutions urging Iran to cease enrichment and processing activities. However, Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is exclusively for peaceful purposes.

Beginning in 2002, influential nations including Germany, France, Russia, China, UK, and US have been collaborating to resolve the dispute between Iran and the UN. Discussions held in Geneva resulted in a six-month Joint Plan of Action that imposed limitations on Iran's nuclear program to ensure peaceful intentions. Encouragingly, ongoing negotiations involving Iran, the US, and five other countries are yielding positive progress.

There is an ongoing debate regarding the forced dismantling of certain parts of Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

Historical Background

In the 1950s, Iran developed an interest in nuclear power with assistance from the U.S. Atoms for Peace program. During the Cold War, Iran was a crucial Western ally and implemented a "twin pillar" policy alongside Saudi Arabia (Anderson and Anderson 236). Consequently, Iran established the Tehran Nuclear Research Center in the 1960s with support from the United States.

Iran sought the assistance of various nuclear experts to enhance its scientific abilities. Originally, Iran aimed to use nuclear energy as a way to conserve its oil supplies after the 1974 oil crisis. However, in addition to exploring alternative energy sources, Iran also considered the possibility of creating nuclear weaponry. As a result, Shah established a nuclear power program with two objectives in mind.

After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, Ayatollah Khomeini,

the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, objected to the Shah's nuclear power plans on religious grounds, as they conflicted with their Islamic beliefs. However, when Rafsanjani assumed presidency following Khomeini's death, he decided to enhance Iran's nuclear program in order to address the increasing energy needs resulting from population growth and industrialization. In pursuit of this goal, Iran sought assistance from Pakistan (Soofiand Nu?ri? 180).

Russia provided assistance in building the Bushehr Nuclear Power Reactor during the 1990s, which attracted the US's notice. As a result, the US imposed limitations on additional aid from Russia, similar to their partnership with China in 1997. Although they initially supported Iran's pursuit of nuclear power for domestic purposes, both the US and international community became worried about possible weaponization. Consequently, the UN intervened in Iran's nuclear program and offered two choices: either continue their activities and face economic sanctions and military action or halt enrichment-related activities.

Under President Ahmadinejad's leadership, the Iranian government takes a stricter stance on its nuclear activities. It refuses to halt enrichment and reprocessing programs, diverging from the Islamic Republic's policies that discourage the use of chemical and biological weapons influenced by Islamic teachings. The Iran-Iraq War also impacted Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons as it significantly reduced their conventional arsenal, highlighting the need for nuclear development for emergency preparedness.

Iran carried out small-scale experiments and deployed around 800 Scuds during and after the Iran-Iraq War. They received help from China in developing short-range rocketry and acquired Scud-B missiles from Syria, Libya, and North Korea in the late 20th century (Anderson and Anderson 237). On the other hand, Iraq has been actively working to improve its

missile arsenal. It is uncertain whether Iran is actually developing nuclear weapons because of the similarities between technologies, materials, and processes used for both peaceful nuclear power programs and weapon development.

The utilization of uranium enrichment facilities is a prime example of dual purpose. These facilities produce both low-enriched uranium for fuel and highly enriched uranium for nuclear weapons development. Furthermore, nuclear power reactors generate plutonium-237, which can also be extracted for constructing nuclear weapons.

Institutional Features

Iran's political system is intricate because it involves democratically elected officials and political institutions consisting of religious clerics. The Guardian Council, in particular, plays a crucial role in the conservative endorsement of all legislation alongside the Parliament. This appointed legislative and judicial body is responsible to the Supreme Leader.

Iran's Supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, primarily focuses on domestic affairs. It is important to consider his motivations and intentions when shaping U.S. policies. The Guardian Council, composed of religious clerics, opposes the building of nuclear weapons due to their inconsistency with Islamic religious principles (Soofiand Nu?ri? 182). On the other hand, Iran's President has hidden agendas beyond using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes; he seeks military superiority and sees the creation of devastating nuclear weapons as a way to achieve this objective.

Iran's quest for nuclear weapons is driven by conflicting influences. The Supreme leader, Khamenei, has a more progressive and liberal stance in contrast to his predecessor, Khomeini. Having the authority to veto decisions on Iranian politics, foreign policy, and military matters, Khamenei wields considerable power in Iran and the neighboring region that exceeds even the President's jurisdiction (Sinha and Beachy).

Despite his political influence in Iran, Khamenei must constantly appease the hard-lined

religious conservatives because they have the authority to remove and replace him. This is because he did not undergo complete religious training and immediately entered politics after the revolution led by Khomeini. As a result, he does not hold the title of Grand Ayatollah or top religious authority. The media has extensively covered Iran's nuclear power program. However, contrary to Western media portrayal, Khamenei seems unwilling to engage in conflict but remains skeptical of Western countries' intentions due to tense historical relations. Two political institutions in Iran, specifically the Iranian government under the President and the Guardian Council under the Supreme leader, have opposing views on this issue.

The president's decision to create a military force for his country contradicts Islamic principles and breaches the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Conversely, the Supreme leader opposes the development of nuclear weapons due to its contradiction with Islamic religious beliefs. If the Iranian government continues pursuing their nuclear weapons program, they may gain a strong military but will face harsh consequences from the international community. These consequences include significant economic and foreign policy sanctions that would adversely affect the Iranian population. Additionally, this could result in military conflict, transforming Iran into another war-torn region (BBC News). Consequently, there is a risk of removing the president from office.

The Supreme leader, Khamenei, is approaching the potential conflict with the international community cautiously. Simultaneously, he aims to avoid dividing his country's supporters and opponents of the nuclear program. Consequently, resolving Iran's nuclear power program presents a complex political challenge.

Iran is encouraging the utilization of their valuable petroleum for electricity production and the creation of valuable goods. Consequently, they are actively striving to acquire

nuclear power in order to fulfill their energy requirements. Nevertheless, there are concerns regarding Iran potentially exploiting nuclear energy as a disguise for weapon development. Despite these allegations, the Iranian government remains unwavering in its enrichment endeavors, affirming that they are exclusively intended for peaceful objectives.

The international community is closely monitoring Iran's activities due to their potential threat of nuclear weapons. The presence of two separate political institutions in Iran adds complexity. Despite Khamenei's willingness to negotiate, he remains firm and not submissive to Western demands. Khamenei expects reciprocation from the other side for any compromise, thus leaving the Iranian nuclear power program unresolved. The recent adoption of stricter techniques by the Iranian government further complicates the situation, making it unclear whether they have halted their nuclear program or are waiting for a more opportune time to resume it.

Works Cited

1. Anderson, Ewan, and Anderson, Liam. An Atlas of Middle Eastern Affairs. Routledge. 2013. Print.
2. BBC News. Iran nuclear crisis: Can talks succeed? 25 Nov. 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.
3. Benn, Aluf.

"The Russian-Iranian Connection." Bulletin Of The Atomic Scientists 57.1 (2001): 16. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

• Sinha, Shreeya, and Beachy, Susan.

The New York Times published a timeline on Iran's Nuclear Program on April 2, 2015.

The book "Science and Innovations in Iran: Development, Progress, and Challenges" was written by Abdol S Soofi and Nu?ri? S. Qa?z?i?. It was accessed on 25th February 2016.

The print edition of the book "New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013"

was published.