| ID | 127071 |
| Title Proper | Iran as a 'pariah' nuclear aspirant |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Clarke, Michael |
| Publication | 2013. |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | This article demonstrates that Iran conforms to Richard K. Betts' model of a 'pariah' nuclear aspirant, as its nuclear program is driven by a potent combination of security, normative and domestic political motivations. The regime's commitment to its nuclear program is influenced by Iran's long-standing sense of vulnerability to both regional and international adversaries, and an enduring sense of national humiliation at the hands of foreign powers, in parallel with a powerful belief in the superiority of Persian civilisation. This has resulted in the development of a narrative of 'hyper-independence' in Iran's foreign policy that simultaneously rejects political, cultural or economic dependence and emphasises 'self-reliance'. The presumed security benefits that a nuclear weapons option provides are seen as ensuring Iranian 'self-reliance' and 'independence'. This suggests that current strategies that focus exclusively on Iran's security motivations or on a heightened regime of sanctions are fundamentally flawed, as they fail to recognise the mutually reinforcing dynamic between Iran's security and normative/status-derived nuclear motivations |
| `In' analytical Note | Australian Journal of International Affairs Vol.67, No.4; August 2013: p.491-510 |
| Journal Source | Australian Journal of International Affairs Vol.67, No.4; August 2013: p.491-510 |
| Key Words | Iran ; Nuclear Weapons ; Nuclear Proliferation ; P5+ 1 - USA, UK, France, Russia, China and Germany ; USA ; EU 3 - France, Germany and UK ; International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA ; Nuclear Motivation ; United Nations - UN ; Low-Enriched Uranium - LEU ; International Security ; Regional Security ; Peace and Conflicts ; Foreign Policy ; International Organization - IO ; International Cooperation ; International Relations - IR |