Chancellor Merkel,
Congratulations for being one of TIME Magazine’s Most Influential Leaders and for your continuous steadfast action in the EU Refugee Crisis and the Eurozone. With that said, it is time for you to also consider the current situation to complexities of the Iran nuclear deal which has been a problem to the international community since the end of the Second World War.
Iran’s nuclear power started in the 1950s according to Kerr (2012) with the assistance of the United States. The US created a nuclear reactor in the capital city Teheran in order to generate enough electricity that would power the entire country. However, when the reactor went critical in 1967 due to the unstable chain reactions generated by the reactor’s core, Iran realized the immense potential nuclear power can bring to the country. The country started its nuclear technology development despite the possibility that the international community would not sanction this action now that nuclear power is being regulated. In the documents the international community has been able to retrieve from Iran in the 1970s, the country planned to create 10 to 20 nuclear reactors that would be able to make 20,000 megawatts of power by 1994 . Yaphe and Lutes (2005) added that Iran needed nuclear power to sustain the demand for electricity as it could not keep up with the prices of fuel in the world market. While it does have fuel sources, the prices are always subsidized.
Aside from the creation of electricity for its people, Iran also wished to use nuclear power as a means to protect themselves considering as they feel isolated from their Middle Eastern neighbors. Iran has constantly stressed that they would not be using their nuclear capability to threaten or isolate other countries, but they wish these nuclear capabilities to utilize its benefits for the development of the region and the world. Iran had to fight alone when Iraq mobilized its forces and as such, Iran could only use their nuclear capabilities as a means to deter a possible onslaught from Iran. Iran had indicated their relief that the international community had ordered Iraq to surrender all its weapons of mass destruction after the Iraq-Kuwait War as this would ensure that their national security would be protected. Iran watched how the UN arms inspectors deactivated Iraq’s nuclear capability. Although these nuclear facilities are deactivated, Iran holds on to their nuclear power in order to prevent a potential nuclear confrontation with Iraq and even by US and Europe against the country .
The presence of nuclear power in Iran has presented several concerns to the international community, considering the possibility that this nuclear technology development in Iran may be used for other things which is not related to energy production. In the 2002 report of the National Council of Resistance on Iran, they cited that Iran continued its nuclear programs in the Natanz and Arak sites without the knowledge or approval of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA is tasked to ensure that nuclear facilities are strictly monitored and that no suspecting activity is done by reported sites. The IAEA called for Iran to cooperate in their investigations and stop its uranium enrichment facilities. On October 2003, the IAEA’s reported regarding Iran’s nuclear activity mirrored the assessment of the National Council of Resistance on Iran and stressed that Iran’s clandestine nuclear activities violates the current treaties on non-proliferation and the safety standards for uranium enrichment and plutonium separation. Iran had consistently stressed that they have no intention of using its nuclear capability for weaponry and repeatedly shut down its nuclear power to prove their promise, intel reports suggest that Iran can easily resume clandestine nuclear activities without tipping off the international community .
Currently, your country alongside the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, Russia and the European Union have engaged with negotiations with Iran in order for the country to deactivate its nuclear powers and remove the sanctions in its midst. Katzman (2014) stated that the United States is willing to end the tensions between Iran and the rest of the international community and begin negotiations in reaching a nuclear agreement to lift the sanctions. On November 23, 2013, the interim agreement or the Joint Plan of Action was signed in Geneva between Iran, the European Union, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States and Germany. The agreement would regulate Iran’s nuclear program, deactivating some of its facilities and consent to IAEA questioning. If Iran agrees to the stipulations, they will receive relief from their economic sanctions amounting to $7 billion without new sanctions. Sanctions would also be lifted to the country’s transportation industry and enable slow progress to a more concrete agreement regarding Iran’s nuclear power. Oil export increase is also now allowed for Iranian products and trade is now resumed between Iran and the signatories .
Negotiations continued between Iran and the members of the P5+1 to establish a permanent and comprehensive agreement that would officially reduce the sanctions imposed on Iran and allow the country’s nuclear capability to be converted for peaceful use. Iran would be obligated to stop its active facilities and once Iran has managed to achieve the safeguards set by the IAEA, the country’s nuclear program would be seen similarly to other non-nuclear states. Sanctions would also be slowly relieved from Iran slowly and each signatory has agreed that it would be applied once the IAEA has certified Iran’s compliance. The new agreement was officially agreed on April 2, 2015 in Switzerland and finalized on July 14, 2015 .
Although the nuclear deal between Iran and the six nations that brokered the deal – which includes Germany, there is still fear in the minds of the people that must be alleviated for this nuclear deal to work efficiently. In this regard, I suggest you and the five other nations consider how Iran can actively participate in the discussions without fearing the potential implications of their actions. Liberalism argues that while states are different from one another, they are entitled to certain rights with regards to their affairs. It also argues that in the international level, institutions must coordinate with these countries and assist in the protection of peace and the status quo . While the deal is already established, I have a belief that Iran would still need assistance from the international community in order to become confident of the nuclear deal.
In a unilateral level, Germany can assist Iran to become more active in the international community by establishing the connections necessary for economic recovery to prosper in Iran. Liberalism argues that most states are not capable of generating enough financial resource to sustain its economic development. These states would need to have foreign investment to bolster its development and confidence . Germany is considered one of Iran’s most important trading partners and the removal of sanctions would greatly benefit Germany further once Iran can resume trading with other countries. Germany can start reorganizing trade with Iran by sending representatives from German companies to Iran and study how Iran can be improved to meet the influx of trade once Iran is relieved from sanctions. These German companies would assist in improving Iranian infrastructure for trade, commerce and other industries. Germany could also bolster financial investments by arranging trade agreements with other Iranian industries. In a multilateral level, your country can call into the United States and the European Union to engage in trade agreements and even political partnerships to bolster Iran’s presence and confidence to mingle with the rest of the international community. Liberalism has pointed out that globalization has been slowly eroding state sovereignty and undermines its power. With the Middle East still unstable due to the persistence of terrorism from non-state actors, assisting Iran would ensure that they do not need to rely on nuclear power to protect themselves and bolster the government’s capability to act for its people. Since Iran’s nuclear power is removed and converted to peaceful means, your country and the international community would need to step in to provide alternatives on how protection can still persist.
If these considerations are met, it is plausible that the international community would be able to assist developing countries into looking at other means to bolster its national security. It would also be the start of its capability in efficiently addressing the fears caused by nuclear power by non-nuclear power states.
References
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Dunne, T. (2011). Liberalism. In J. Baylis, S. Smith, & P. Owens, The Globalization of World
Politics: An introduction to international relations (pp. 102-112). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Katzman, K. (2014). Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses. Washington, D.C.: US Library of
Congress, Congressional Research Service.
Katzman, K., & Kerr, P. (2016). Iran Nuclear Agreement. Washington, D.C.: US Library of
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Kerr, P. (2012). Iran's Nuclear Program: Status. Washington, D.C.: US Library of Congress,
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Yaphe, J., & Lute, C. (2005). Reassessing the Implications of a Nuclear-Armed Iran. Washington,
D.C.: Institute for National Strategic Studies.
