Iran's nuclear ambitions - Essay Example

In this age of variegated ideological, economic and cultural differences and interests, the renunciation of nuclear weapons may, on the fact of it, sounds utopian. Even the results of so many treaties and meetings on banning nuclear weapons have not yielded encouragement of a considerable amplitude and one inclines to conclude that with the progress made so far in this direction and with sustained efforts to mobilize public opinion against building nuclear stockpiles, renunciation would be an impossible feat.

Since 1957 [1], the Iranian nuclear program proved to be a dilemma for the rest of the world. As the 21st century set its pace, Iranian nuclear issue has attracted a substantial attention of the world. There has been a long held world-wide suspicion that the Islamic republic of Iran has been pursuing a nuclear weapon capability over least two decades The last couple of year’s events have strengthened this suspicion. That suspicion is fed by Iran’s impel to obtain all capabilities of nuclear power technology, whether economically corroborated or not [2].

Iran’s strong cadence towards the realization of nuclear technology that would consent Iran to produce highly enriched uranium and nuclear explosives plutonium, is especially worrisome for the rest of the world and particularly United States and its close allies.This fact has been vehemently denied by the Tehran Islamic regime. It asserts that Iran’s nuclear activities and development is for peaceful purposes and not for making nuclear arsenals. Iran has signed multilateral Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) [4] and has agreed to accept International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision, or safeguards, over a host of nuclear activities.

Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) allows transfers of nuclear technology for peaceful purposes to non-nuclear weapon states. The treaty even facilitates that as long as nuclear facilities are accessible to IAEA inspectors the the production of enriched uranium and separation of plutonium from irradiated reactor fuel is not illegal, while IAEA safeguards main purpose is to provide confidence building measures that peaceful nuclear facilities in non-nuclear states are not exploited for nuclear weapon purposes [5].

On December 18, 2003, Iran went one step ahead when it had signed an additional protocol that allowed IAEA inspectors to access Iranian nuclear R&D locations and military-owned workshops. The IAEA inspectors also conducted interviews to Iranian nuclear program individuals and examined the design and procurement documents. IAEA surveillance system was also installed at Isfahan ____________________________________________________________________________________[3] "Iran's Resumption of Its Nuclear Program" By Frederic L.

Kirgis, The American Society of International Law (ASIL) Insight, dated: August 22, 2005. Available at,http://www.asil.org/insights/2005/08/insights050822.htm[4] Iran had signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on July 1, 1968 during Shah Rule. See "Iran's Nuclear Program Has a Long History" written by Roland Flamini, reference [1].[5] "Iran, International Law and Nuclear Disarmament", by David Krieger, February 2006.Available at,