Current Affairs Analysis
Current Affairs Analysis #2
Zhazira Zhalgasbayeva
Due October 11, 2013
Iran is publicly known to have been developing its nuclear program since 2002. Despite the assurances by Iranian policymakers of energy production intentions, international community – mainly US and Europe – remains skeptical about the true aims of Iran’s searches for nuclear capability. Continuous inspections of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) followed by numerous resolutions and economic sanctions imposed by US and allies haven’t to day been successful in halting country’s enrichment program. However, with a newly elected president Hassan Rouhani, some argue, the situation might move in a new direction, since he expressed the long missing willingness of Iran to negotiate on its nuclear program with US in particular.
On UN General Assembly meeting that was held recently Mr Rouhani “called for stricter controls on nuclear weapons as part of a global effort to eventually rid the world of them” (2013). “No nation should possess nuclear weapons; since there are no right hands for these wrong weapons,” – the article in the BBC News website sites (2013). Nevertheless these statements are ambiguous and do not indicate whether Iran is really planning on shutting down its nuclear development program or is it covering up the nuclear arms acquisition process at home by pretending to adhere to non-proliferation principles internationally.
Though the authenticity of Iran’s political intentions and the nature of the nuclear development program itself is the matter of debate, the reasoning strategies of Iranian officials for both proliferation and non-proliferation can be argued to go in line with Sagan’s norms model. In “Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons?” Sagan presents three theoretical frameworks for states proliferation actions – the security model, the domestic politics model and the norms model. The third can though be applicable for both proliferation and non-proliferation
Zhazira Zhalgasbayeva
Due October 11, 2013
Iran is publicly known to have been developing its nuclear program since 2002. Despite the assurances by Iranian policymakers of energy production intentions, international community – mainly US and Europe – remains skeptical about the true aims of Iran’s searches for nuclear capability. Continuous inspections of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) followed by numerous resolutions and economic sanctions imposed by US and allies haven’t to day been successful in halting country’s enrichment program. However, with a newly elected president Hassan Rouhani, some argue, the situation might move in a new direction, since he expressed the long missing willingness of Iran to negotiate on its nuclear program with US in particular.
On UN General Assembly meeting that was held recently Mr Rouhani “called for stricter controls on nuclear weapons as part of a global effort to eventually rid the world of them” (2013). “No nation should possess nuclear weapons; since there are no right hands for these wrong weapons,” – the article in the BBC News website sites (2013). Nevertheless these statements are ambiguous and do not indicate whether Iran is really planning on shutting down its nuclear development program or is it covering up the nuclear arms acquisition process at home by pretending to adhere to non-proliferation principles internationally.
Though the authenticity of Iran’s political intentions and the nature of the nuclear development program itself is the matter of debate, the reasoning strategies of Iranian officials for both proliferation and non-proliferation can be argued to go in line with Sagan’s norms model. In “Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons?” Sagan presents three theoretical frameworks for states proliferation actions – the security model, the domestic politics model and the norms model. The third can though be applicable for both proliferation and non-proliferation
References: “Iran nuclear programme: US and China call for response”, BBC News, 26 September, 2013. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24286548 Sagan, Scott D. 1996-1997. “Why Do States Build Nuclear Weapons?: Three Models in Search of a Bomb”. International Security 21 (3).