The Iranian Nuclear Program - Essay Example

It is true that in today's world, the Iranian government was “Feeling its oats.” The government is looking for a way for Iran to gain more influence in the region. That is one of the reasons they were pursuing a nuclear program. At the same time, they were also pursuing partnerships with both Syria and Hezbollah in Lebanon which have allowed them to further hem Israel into its corner. They wanted to have more influence and impact on the countries in the region. The truth is that because the American invasion of Iraq left a power vacuum in the region, the Iranians have been able to capitalize on it and gain more influence in Iraq. In a sense, Iranian interests have been served, but so have American ones. This has encouraged them and given them confidence as they pursue the expansion of their belligerent programs. They must be stopped.

The United States must not allow this aggression to stand. At risk is their relationship with their ally Israel. Israel is under direct threat from Iran whose leaders have many times threatened to destroy them (The Economist). The truth is that the U.S. Can only take Iran at its word. Just like with Germany in the 1930s, retaking the Rhineland, aggression against the international order must be met with force. Years of diplomacy have failed thus far to accomplish anything. The world knows that Iran has been lying and stalling for many years and that they expect to get away with it. America should take action and fly several air missions to destroy suspected sites and damage Iran's air defenses.

Now that many American soldiers have left Iraq and there is a fairly stable government there, there are fewer targets for Iran to seek retribution against should an American attack be launched. The time is right. If the international community waits any longer the result will be hard to predict. Iran may have developed enough of a weapons program to be unstoppable. The clock is ticking.

War is an imperfect solution to the problems of the world. But sometimes it is the only available one or the least bad option. International politics is driven by states' self-interest and sometimes violence is the only way to prove to them that their current actions are not actually in their interests. Read More