Karina King

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Ms. Gardner
English 10H
3 May 2015
Irans incessant quest for nuclear capabilities
Iran wants a nuclear program, but do we know the real reason? Iran has been on a
constant and neverending search for a nuclear program for numerous years, ever since the
program was shut down in 1979. Research has been the only reason for this request to the UN,
but what is the real-unofficial- reason the government of the country wants such a program?
Supporters of the countrys freedom say there is no immediate danger to Iran or any other
country. Arguably, if Iran indeed builds a nuclear testing facility it would immediately impact the
U.S. and many other countries around the world, because, if not causing a direct threat to the
U.S., it would cause a tension filled nuclear arms race in the middle east. Introduced to the senate
in 2013 by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the bill covered many aspects of the nuclear program
including that Iran would not have any nuclear capabilities, or a program maintained (Congress).
Iran should not be allowed to start a nuclear program in its country at least at this time, for
several reasons; immediate threat to other countries, rising tensions in the already tense middle
east, and initiate an arms race for nuclear weapons in surrounding countries and the world, and
the fact that an extremely corrupted government would be in control of such a weapon.
The support of Iran having a nuclear program are people who believe in human conscious
and have faith in even a corrupted government. ran having a nuclear program doesnt mean any
weapons would be used as a threat or otherwise against any nation, including the U.S. One
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positive aspect of Iran developing a nuclear program is thus:"Iran's development of nuclear

weapons will enhance its ability to deter an external attack, but it will not enable it to change the
Middle East's geo-political order in its own favor, Nader (Lobe/Hitchon) The support of Irans
plan for a nuclear program say that the program doesnt cause any threat, the country hasnt been
proven to have lied about any of its intentions, and there is no confirmation of weaponization.
He reemphasized Iran's political determination to work with the IAEA in order to remove any
ambiguities..., noting that Tehran's participation in negotiations on the so-called 'possible
military dimension' is beyond its obligations under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (BBC).
The fact that Iran had allowed investigations was supposed to show that they had not lied, and
therefore should be allowed to have a nuclear program. Even though are are some who support
the Irans nuclear program, it would be very dangerous for the rest of the world and they should
not be allowed this program which has the potential to annihilate entire countries.
The first fact is that a nuclear program functioning in Iran would cause a very devastating
effect for the rest of the world. The threat of nuclear weapons in a country that has a tyrannical
government and is angry with U.S. sanctions is strong. (Kirk/Engel) There are many facts that
lead up to the fact that Iran should not be allowed a nuclear program. The direct threat, and the
prospect of being annihilated in a retaliatory nuclear strike, which has successfully deterred the
Soviets and the Chinese from unleashing their own nuclear weapons during the Cold War, would
be ineffective against an Iran ruled by fanatical Shiite Mullahs (Podhoretz). A very powerful
statement about the real threat of the tyrannical government shows that there is a real threat to

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discuss. The thought of dictators who disregard the value of human life at home and pledge
genocide abroad having a nuclear weapon should frighten every American (Kirk/Engel).

Based on this research, the dangers of Iran being allowed to have a nuclear program would be an
immediate threat to nearby countries and any countries whose tensions between Iran are high.
The physical threat of course is the potential of bombs destroying populations of innocent
citizens, and the countries they live in. If these facts are present, how can a nuclear program even
be considered to be allowed in the unstable country?
The threat of an arms race is very real today, and the allowance of a nuclear program in
Iran would spur the tensions to a breaking point. Podhoretz states that their acquisition of a
nuclear capability would inevitably trigger a nuclear-arms race in the Middle East (Podhoretz).
The development of nuclear weapons, and the arms race would also increase the chance that the
weapons go off, if not on order than possibly by accident, maybe even in their own country.
(Podhoretz). In addition to an arms race if Iran becomes a nuclear military power, the
consequences are easily foreseeable (Black). The evidence pointing to the beginning of an arms
race is non negotiable, and steps need to be taken to ensure the safety of our country, and the
citizens of every nation in the world. An arms race would spur nuclear activity everywhere,
which puts every citizen of the world in danger, and while the government's fight their battles
with citizen casualties the governments themselves would also fight an arms race without the
physical consequence to themselves, only to the people. This directs us to the fact that if a
country is willing to put their citizens in such danger than the government clearly does not

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protect or care about the lives of their own citizens, showing a government that would not
hesitate to annihilate a country full of people.
How can a corrupted government control a nuclear weapons program that could
(potentially) destroy the world? Irans nuclear deal should not be authorized, and it is atrocious

that such a government be allowed to control such a dangerous program. To be clear: Iran did
not hold a free and fair election earlier this summer. The Iranian people were forced to choose
between a select group of regime insiders who had been carefully vetted and hand-picked by
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. More than 600 would-be candidates were disqualified from
campaigning and the vote. Reformists were kept under house arrest. The internet was tightly
controlled in the weeks leading up to the vote (Kirk/Engel). The authors of one article are
convinced that only drastic measures would be able to stop the government, or at least change its
course. We are convinced that taking immediate steps to increase the pain of sanctions is the
only way to persuade the Iranian leadership to change its course (Kirk/Engel). The countrys
government lied to the UN about its development of nuclear weapons, and its goals and plans for
a nuclear program. This shows a government that doesnt respect the UN or other governments,
and it also shows a government defiant of international laws. Because of the threat of an arms
race the country would have wanted to advance in the race by not telling other countries of their
development. Irans government has lied to the UN and other nation in saying that it has not had
any nuclear development in the past years. Denying that it was working towards a nuclear bomb
shows a threat from the government. (Podhoretz). Because of this research, we know the
government is not to be trusted and is potentially a threat to other nations. Without respecting the
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United Nations a country cannot be trusted, nor can it be allowed to have free range, or usage at
all of nuclear technology in which they can destroy the entire world. Therefore we know that it is
unacceptable for the country to be allowed a nuclear program, and can make the wise and
conscious decision about not allowing Iran to pursue their nuclear goals. If Iran were to be
allowed such a dangerous program it would put every citizen in danger, because a government

who does not consider the value of a human life important would put the lives of thousands, if
not millions of people in danger for the government's small personal gain.
Ultimately it has become utterly clear that Iran cannot be allowed a nuclear program. It
poses an immediate and physical threat to nations of the world, a dangerous arms race that could
potentially start a war across the globe, and a government controlling a dangerous program that
can obliterate the world population. The severe and immediate threat on society is simple. A
tyrannical government would be controlling a nuclear weapon able to destroy the world, and
such a government would not falter to do so. It potentially would put citizens into a life full of
fear, fear of the bomb being dropped. Being human means that we have a conscious, until that
conscious is brainwashed out of us. How can we, as citizens of the U.S. allow such a program
to occur that could put millions of families, millions of children, women, mothers and fathers,
into a danger that was controlled by a government who did not even have respect for the lives of
its own citizens.

Works Cited

Black, Conrad. "If Iran Gets the Bomb." National Post. 12 Jan. 2013: A.21. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 01 May 2015.

Kirk, Mark, and Eliot Engel. "Without Stronger Sanctions, Iran Will Go Nuclear." Wall Street
Journal. 13 Aug. 2013: A.15. SIRS Issues Researcher.Web. 02 May 2015.

Lobe, Jim, and Joe Hitchon. "Nuclear Iran Unlikely to Tilt Regional Power Balance." Global
Information Network. 18 May 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 01 May 2015.

Podhoretz, Norman. "Strike Iran Now to Avert Disaster Later." Wall Street Journal. 12 Dec.
2013: A.19. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 01 May 2015.

"Envoy Reiterates Peaceful Nature of Iran's Nuclear Activities." BBC Monitoring Middle East.
23 May 2013: n.p. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 02 May 2015.