Iran's Nuclear Program and Conflict in the Middle East
Abstract
Nuclear Program of Iran has been tagged as a controversial issue ever since it has been conceptualized and this is more so because it has gone on to become a politically defined issue with most of its details deeply shrouded in mystery. In this context, Middle East remains in a very instable situation even though the nuclear agreement with Iran paves way for a beneficial provision for the ISA and also the international security. As far as the topic is concerned, it is to be looked after why the agreement took place in the first place and what’s in store for the nation concerned. The most powerful influences on the state behavior of Iran have to be considered critically in this regard to focus predominantly on the event.
The situation at Middle East has not taken to any progression for the area in concerned continues to bask in the period of instability and high tensions between states, specifically Iran and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, it is to be mentioned that the region wide competition has actually worsened the scenario than earlier and has in turn caused the steady weakening of the region’s state system(Aljazeera.com, 2015). Other states such as Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have been affected too and can be counted amongst the worst–hit sections for their respective governing bodies have opted for splits on the grounds of severe internal power conflict as well as power struggles for both legitimacy and power. The state authorities i.e. the governing machineries have collapsed drastically and that has paved way for certain non-state armed groups to divulge their powerful exertion of influence alongside some quasi-state terrorist organizations i.e. the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, or ISIS, and Hezbollah to come out of their cocoons.
The argument consisting of ‘Why did this event come about?’ and ‘Why did it unfold as it did?’ certainly focuses on the intensity of the research topic in context of the turmoil in Middle East and the nuclear agreement of Iran.
While Tehran has been found to be public as well as vocal about its respective quest for acquisition of peaceful nuclear energy for the purpose of serving its population, especially after the 1979 revolution; the very notion of theocracy has from the beginning opposed this idea in terms of denying any sort of interest in the development of nuclear power and nuclear weapon. All these are happening even though there is certain boastfulness about the growing capacity of enriching uranium, which is largely regarded as a method of power generation, specifically for a weapons program.
It can be said in this respect that while there is an ingoing as well as persisting regional unrest and instability, the nuclear agreement with Iran has actually proved a matter of tangible kind of benefit for the likes of U.S. and the security of international stature. The deal has vehemently ensured that Iran does not produce any sort of nuclear weapon in the upcoming years, atleast not for 10-15years, and this has been done in terms of imposing restrictions on the ability as well as functioning of Iran(Name, 2016). The very agreement of nuclear power has been designed to set up a respective regime of inspections which has been endowed with the capacity of increasing the knowledge of the international community regarding the Iranian nuclear program. Moreover, the preset regime has been entrusted with the power of enhancing the respective ability for detecting such processes. In this context, the JCPOA can be referred to and if truth be told, with the strict as well as proper implementation of JCPOA, new better opportunities can crop up in the politically instable scenario in terms of promoting regional stability. This is to be added hereby that the JCPOA can nonetheless manage to offer best possible potential option within the realistic alternative frameworks with the purpose of for addressing Iran’s nuclear program(Council on Foreign Relations, 2016).
On the other hand, it is also worth mentioning that only the strict implementation of the JCPOA will not help the cause of achievinggreater Middle East stability and thus, in order to achieve greater scale stability, it has been recommended that a more coherent as well as assertive U.S. strategy is an essential and urgent requirement for the region than what has been adopted in the past decades. Implementation of JCPOA alone is not fully effective in the cause of diluting the regional tensions, and therefore, the United States can play a significantly vital role in performing de-escalation of the tensions along with contributing efficiently in causing the long term greater Middle East stabilityin terms of using the full range of its diplomatic and military tools.
How the Iran deal impacts the Middle East?
It can be added in this context that the respective nuclear agreement that was signed in Vienna has proved to be one of the major breakthroughs as far as the US-Iran relationship is concerned; and that, despite several warnings, the agreement is not going to result in causing further chaos as well as instability in the area of Middle East(Stone, 2003). Though the situation is such after the signing of the nuclear deal, that majority of the political elite society and also the commentators of media, both in the Middle East as well as in the U.S. have firmly believed that a new age of catastrophe is about to begin and the centre of attraction is none other than the persisting instability of Middle East, that has largely been prompted by Iran and its powerfully influential agents. The beliefs can well be termed as myths but it is to be understood that all these have no concrete basis rather a base of fear tactics that has been incorporated in the minds of the neighboring constituencies(Cannistraro, 2007). The myths can be elaborated such as;
The regional allies have been abandoned by US because of the cause of Iran
Lifting of sanctions from Iran can cause more and more threatening to Israel
The onset of Iran’s nuclear deal ensures a nuclear arms race in terms of destabilizing the region furthermore
Though there is a potent decrease in the decades-old bilateral tension between US and Iran, but the deal in concern is in no way synonymous with the declaration of war on Israel and Sunni Arabs. It has been confirmed earlier that Iran and US could be working as probable de-facto partners in case of combating the Islamic State in ISIL and Iraq; but that does not proceed to nullify the fact that both the nations are atodds over the issue of Syria (Horovitz, 2012). It can be said thus, that US has in no way cut off with the other Gulf States and continues to put its trust in them for the purpose of stability in the domain of energy.
The Middle East after the Iran Nuclear Deal
Iran has met certain restrictions by agreeing to the nuclear deal in terms of the wide-ranged and imposing global sanctions on the basis of an international belief that Iran is an aggressive power that can be considered as a danger to regional and international security. Foreign Minister Mohamad JavadZarifhas even coined the term "Iranophobia" in order to focus on the catastrophic situation(MacQueen, 2013).
But the situation has undergone a twist that is inclusive of Iran’s negotiation rather than giving up its own nuclear program, which in turn has managed to demonstrate to the major powers that the nation would never be subjected to military threats as well as economic sanctions. Moreover, this has been asserted that the two-year-long nuclear negotiations have caused the undermining of ‘Iranophobia’ in several foreign capitals as major powers have understood that resolving their respective differences with Iran should well be done by means of diplomatic channels and not by means of activities of coercion(Pirseyedi, 2012).
Although Iran has always maintained the fact that it’s respective nuclear program has been designed specifically for serving its peaceful purposes, there can be found a considerable concern regarding the notion that Tehran has followed suit as far as the nuclear program is concerned in terms of its individualistic pursuing (K. Kerr, 2012). In this regard, it can be noted that Iran’s refusal for the cause of suspending work on its designated program of uranium enrichment has been responded upon by the U.N. Security Council in terms of resolution adoption which in turn has resulted in imposing sanctions on Tehran and its nuclear activities. but whatever be the effect, despite the sanctions imposed, Iran continues its nuclear activities and instead of slowing down its program of uranium enrichment, it has managed to conduct research on certain new varieties of centrifuges along with installing additional ones. A certain consensus can be detected among the foreign policy and the security establishment of Iran regarding the respective warnings of destabilization of Syria that have proved as prescient. The belief that Iran has got one of the most stable environments of domestic politics alongside its subsequently consistent foreign policy is prominent in this respect, while Iran is said to have pursued a certain systemic stability against the so-called prevalent anti-systemic forces of international terror(Weiss, 2009). Iran’s argument regarding the resolving of regional issues and disputes has even been backed by the consequent spreading of Islamic extremism and this is considered commendable within the framework of Islamic moderation, followed vigorously in Iran on the grounds that Iran should have been given a seat at the table.
It is to be looked into whether concerns regarding the issue of Middle East can be mitigated soon by means of USA’s providing of security assurances and also in terms of causing ratification of a treaty with respect to comprehensively banning nuclear testing (CTBT) (Pirseyedi, 2012). Even though JCPOA has gained prominence in the Iran issue of nuclear agreement and also in the enhancement of Iran’s position in the regional sphere, yet it does not go without receiving critical comments. This has been argued that JCPOA is all for allowing a way-too-much intrusive ‘inspection regime’ that has the tendency of violating the sovereignty of Iran along with putting more than necessary trust and confidence in the United States (Seliktar, 2011).
It has been noticeable that the But the Iranian proponents of JCPOA have showcased their displeasure as well as have scoffed at the very comparison of the Islamic Republic to the one-man dictatorships and thus have insisted upon the fact that nuclear deal in concern is only resolute in terms of strengthening the respective on grounds of effective progress of diplomacy in cases concerning Syria and all (DR. Jeganaathan, 2012). Furthermore, this can be addressed in addition to the situation that only time and other kinds of adjustments ranging from political to legal can wholeheartedly prove whether this optimistic as well as benign assessment of Iran’s ascent within the regional territory is appropriate or not.
References
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