The Functional Utility of Nuclear Weapons: A Case Study of the Iranian Nuclear Crisis

Abstract

In an international system lacking an overarching authority to regulate the relations between states, nations rely on their own means to survive. In this anarchic system, the resort to the threat or actual use of military force has been part of international relations for centuries as states compete for power and survival. The introduction of nuclear weapons as an enhancer of the military capability of states and a strategic weapon brought a new dimension to how states crafted their national security strategies. States wanting to compete in this system without the risk of intimidation from nuclear armed states saw the acquisition of the nuclear weapon as the most efficient way of securing their nations from military aggression. This dissertation uses the Realist theory to examine the functional utility of nuclear weapons, the reasons behind the Iranian nuclear programme and the implications of a possible Iranian bomb. The paper contends that states facing threats from nuclear rivals and without strategic nuclear partners may be forced to proliferate to ensure their national security. The study concludes that unless there are significant modifications in US foreign policy towards Iran, the Iranians may not give up their uranium enrichment programme and their quest for a nuclear weapon. This situation may have grave consequences on the non-proliferation regime and global security. The study therefore recommends a more pragmatic US policy in the Middle East that will lead to a balance of power with the security of all regional players guaranteed.