Dissertations and Theses

Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Department

International Relations

Keywords

Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Diplomacy

Abstract

"Iran is a nation in flux, with a history of political strife and revolution. The everchanging political atmosphere in the nation has made Iran an unpredictable political actor. It is a nation coping with a new governing system, just a few decades out from a revolution from the reign of the Shah of Iran. The fall of reformism has left the nation politically isolated from the international community. Iran is a nation on the brink of nuclear weapon capabilities and with strained relations there is little comfort in sight for an amicable solution. The conservatives of today's Iran seek independence from the dominance of outside powers. In that regard, the acquisition of a nuclear weapon capacity would offer a symbol of power and independence from today's international community that distrusts Iran's unpredictable political atmosphere. According to the thinking of Iran's leadership, obtaining a nuclear weapon would force the international community to see Iran as a military equal and even a regional hegemon, offering the prestige and distance from the major powers that Iran desires in order to govern as it pleases."

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