Vol. 12 No. 2 (2024): Journal of Strategic Studies, Winter 2024
Articles

Iran’s Nuclear Program: A Contentious Discourse

Zafar Nawaz Jaspal
Director/Associate Professor, School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University
Published December 31, 2024
Keywords
  • Iran,
  • nuclearization,
  • IAEA,
  • uranium enrichment,
  • Middle East,
  • Trump 2.0
  • ...More
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How to Cite
Zafar Nawaz Jaspal. (2024). Iran’s Nuclear Program: A Contentious Discourse. CISS Insight Journal, 12(2), P09-32. Retrieved from https://journal.ciss.org.pk/index.php/ciss-insight/article/view/391

Abstract

The rationale for Iran's withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and nuclearization appears more realistic than ever due to the rapid transformation in its geostrategic environment. However, the Iranian ruling elites seem sensitive to the fact that overt nuclearization may prove counterproductive. Therefore, it pursues a balanced nuclear policy by improving latent nuclear weapons potential without withdrawing from the NPT. The alarming riddle is Israel’s Premier, Benjamin Netanyahu's endeavor to establish a new order in the Middle East with the connivance of the United States (US) through military might, which may constitute Iran's final incentive to cross the nuclear threshold. Iran's noncompliance with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) implies that Iranian leadership is contemplating its nuclearization’s future course of action.