International Relations and Irans Nuclear Program - Essay Example

Why are people more worried about Iran with nuclear weapons than they are about Great Britain and France? Should they be? Why/Why not? Iran’s nuclear program was started in the Shas’s regime and there was a plan to build an initial twenty nuclear reactors to help the energy sector of the country (Pike). Two of the reactors were started in the area of the coast of the Persian Gulf but were later stopped and they were quite damaged during the war between Iran and Iraq. After the revolution of in 1979 the nuclear program was put on suspension and then later resumed whereas now the other fifteen power reactors are being worked on. It has been claimed by Iran that their program is for the purpose of energy and to provide electricity to the nation. The world community is quite skeptical of this stance taken by the regime as they see the program as a chance for the current regime to make a nuclear weapon. This situation would certainly cause a stir in the region due to the unstable relationship that Iran has with neighboring countries such as Iraq, Saudi Arabia and others (Bruno, Iran's Nuclear Program, 2010). Iran’s nuclear program has caused a lot of hue and cry over the few years that it became common knowledge that Tehran was working on the program. Many resent the thought of Tehran having the potential of enriching nuclear material and using it either for energy purposes or for weapons as something unacceptable and dangerous. Even the Arab nations, though in the front portraying a show of support, are in the background somewhat skeptical of the program. In a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council in November of 2005 the leaders of several Arab nations, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, made a statement inviting the world nations to prevent he program taking off. The Secretary General in a statement claimed that the program had no justification for it and it was for the better that the Middle East be a weapons free zone with regards to weapons of mass destruction (KHAITOUS, 2008). There are a number of clear cut reasons why there needs to be concern over Iran’s nuclear program over that of France and Great Britain. Those two nations have their nuclear program off the ground and have managed to secure their facilities, as best as one can in this current global situation. Iran’s nuclear facilities are still in the preliminary stages with respect to the other nuclear programs operating in the world. A major concern are the Muslim extremists in the nation who are a threat to the world security. There are serious doubts as to how safe the nuclear material will be in Iran and whether Muslim extremists can get their hands on the material and use it for the purpose of terrorism. Considering the wars that have been waged in Afghanistan and Iraq in the name of fighting it against terrorism it would certainly be seen as a step backwards if the nuclear material was to get in the hand of terrorist. Iran’s stance as to whether the program is for civilian proposes or for weapons is certainly not helped in the rigidity that the nation’s government shows when there is a call for inspection of the nuclear sites (Iran: Tehran Declaration, swap basis, 2010). More of the concerns are due to the gas centrifuge-based enrichment facilities that have been constructed by Iran. These centrifuges have the capacity to enrich uranium and produce either low-enriched uranium or highly enriched uranium (Kerr, 2009). Low-enriched uranium is used for the production of energy in nuclear power facilities whereas the high enriched uranium is used in nuclear weapons. The building of the heavy water reactor also leads to suspicion over the reasons why the program is being pursued but Iran contends that the heavy water facility is for other purposes than those that are being proposed by the world community. Iran’s nuclear program has been a cause of concern to the United States more so than any other nation as the superpower has placed sanctions upon sanctions and embargos upon the Islamic country (Bruno, The Lengthening List of Iran Sanctions, 2010). The Iran-Iraq Nonproliferation Act made it clear that any person or organization that would help Tehran with its nuclear program then it would risk having a sanction put on them in turn. Trade and investment ban were made against the country which was also protested by France and Great Britain as they were barred from making investments in the country. There have certainly been quite a lot of contentions as to whether there can be a world movement to stop the nation to stop form working on the program to better its energy sector as is the right of every nation. The Georgian president in a statement in November stated that the country had every right to produce nuclear energy for its civilian population (Georgia backs Iran's nuclear program, 2010). He was open enough to applaud the effort by the government and even signed several agreements that would help the nations interact better. Georgia’s stance on the issue is that Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and would not go back and compromise it. It is essential at this stage to note that the nations that do border the Islamic Republic of Iran are quite open about their resentment about the nuclear program (Lamb, 2003). This would come as a surprise to some as the Middle East consists of Muslim countries that are thought to be united in issues such as these. Pakistan is the only Islamic country in the world that currently has nuclear weapons and this is something that the Arab nations are proud of. On the other hand Iran poses more of a threat to the Arab community. After the Chernobyl incident in Russia there has been real concern about the environmental security of the area. Countries in the region fear that any form of leakage will lead to a detrimental effect on their environment as well. Iran poses a fair amount of threat to the world with the radicals that the nation’s supports and the knowledge that the country is not stable enough to be allowed to work for nuclear weapons. The threat that a situation such as this would pose would be not only at a local level but to the world when there are deep anti-west and anti-European sentiments that are thriving in the hearts of the population of the country. France and other nations are not privy to such concerns over whether or not their nuclear assets are safe or not and neither is there a form of extremist government, as considered by the west and even by the Arab nations who resent the Shia populated country. Allowing a lighter sentence and grip towards the Iranian nuclear program will also be seen as a sign by the other nations wishing to achieve such technology that it can be done with little or no drawbacks. Such consequences do need to be taken into consideration when regarding the Iranian nuclear program as now the Koreans are also trying t achieve the potential of being able to establish nuclear facilities and are not being challenged by the global community a great deal. In the leaks of the confidential documents by a recent website there have been some cables that are specifically centered to the Iranian nuclear program and have shown that Arab nations are not only crying against the program but are welcoming an attack by American forces to stop the danger from taking place (SECURITYBLOGGER, 2010). This is a huge step taken by the Arabs considering that the locals are not quite warm towards the United States or even the other European countries. In the region which is already being ravaged by the ongoing dispute over the Gaza strip and then endless killing of both Muslim and Jews, the Iranian problem is potent. Iraq brought to the Middle East the American and other allied forces and the Arab nations were not too glad about the invasion but though it was liberation from the likes of Saddam. Now, however, the Arabs may be playing to a different tune as the right to develop nuclear facilities for the sake of energy (Telhami, 2010). Though the idea of nuclear weapon in Iran’s arsenal is still not on the table for them. Iran presents a challenge to the world as it continues to oppose all forms of authority that have tried to stop the program from moving forward and even with countless sanctions has still managed to keep its head above the water. There is still need to monitor the program and ensure that the pursuance is for the sake of peaceful purposes itself. Otherwise the shift in the balance of power will be steep in the Middle East as Israel and Iran have their horns locked already and nuclear weapons on the side will not help the situation to ease in any manner or anytime. Works Cited Bruno, G. (2010, March 10). Iran's Nuclear Program. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Council on Foreign Relations: http://www.cfr.org/publication/16811/irans_nuclear_program.html Bruno, G. (2010, July 28). The Lengthening List of Iran Sanctions. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Council on Foreign Relations: http://www.cfr.org/publication/20258/lengthening_list_of_iran_sanctions.html Georgia backs Iran's nuclear program. (2010, November 4). Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Press tv: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/149663.html Iran: Tehran Declaration, swap basis. (2010, November 3). Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Press tv: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/149473.html Kerr, P. K. (2009). Iran’s Nuclear Program: Tehran’s Compliance with International Obligations. Washington: DIANE Publishing. KHAITOUS, T. (2008, May 23). Why Arab leaders worry about Iran's nuclear program. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from The Bulletin: http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/features/why-arab-leaders-worry-about-irans-nuclear-program Lamb, D. (2003, March 18). In Arab World, Insecurity Reigns Over Possible War. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2003/mar/18/world/fg-brace18 Pike, J. (n.d.). Nuclear Weapons. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Global Security: http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/world/iran/nuke.htm SECURITYBLOGGER. (2010, November 29). Arab Hysteria over Iran. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Security XXI: http://www.securityxxi.info/2010/11/29/the-u-s-iran-and-wikileaks/ Telhami, S. (2010, August 14). A shift in Arab views of Iran. Retrieved December 12, 2010, from Los Angeles Times: http://articles.latimes.com/2010/aug/14/opinion/la-oe-telhami-arab-opinions-20100814 Read More