Iran and the pitfalls of the "nuclear" temptation

The issue of Iran’s nuclear program has recently become a center of attention again. With Iran maintaining that it needs its nuclear power plants to provide for future energy needs and industrial expansion, and the U.S. and Israel accusing Tehran of developing weapons of mass destruction, the stage is set for a new WMD game with the UN and the IAEA acting as embattled referees. It could be argues that the U.S., by choosing military action against Iraq which lacked nuclear capability and preferring diplomacy for the case of North Korea, has given Tehran a clear signal that it would be wiser for Iran to develop nuclear capability and announce it boldly, instead of adhering to a civilian nuclear program.

While there is a focus on the present government of Iran, many argue that the nuclear ambitions of Iran are more or less a matter of national consensus for any future Iranian government. This paper will focus on the potential role of the nuclear option in Iran’s long-term defense strategy, regardless of the regime in power from an Iranian national interest perspective. In the context of this paper actions that benefit Iran’s national interest are defined as:

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