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Iran and Nuclear Conflict
The rule of Shah (Monarch) in Iran was followed by Islamic revolution of Iran in 1979 which changed the Iran from Monarchy to Republic. The same USA which had been cooperating Iran through 'the Atoms for Peace program' before 1979 for establishment of Nuclear Power plants and in other civil nuclear technology became against these development in Iran. As per the earlier agreement with USA, Iran was supposed to come up with first nuclear reactor in early 1980s. USA was cooperating because USA wanted cheap petroleum and Iran could have fulfill its energy need by reactors also. Though USA stopped civil nuclear cooperation after 1979 but Iran has got initial know-how by that time and it was their scientist who worked hard in this field later. IAEA launched an investigation that concluded in November 2003 which blamed Iran for systematically failed to meet its obligations under its NPT safeguards agreement to report those activities to the IAEA. In Nov 2011, In November 2011, IAEA Board of Governors rebuked Iran following an IAEA report detailing how Iran had undertaken research and experiments geared to developing a nuclear weapons capability. However Iran never agreed that its nuclear programme has been going on the path of development of Nuclear Bomb. It maintained that Its nuclear enrichment is up to 5% in general and in case it is bit more that is for other civil facilities like medication. It also argued that it had to maintain the secrecy because its many deal with foreign govt got toppled due to USA intervention. So, Its nuclear development is completely for civil purpose and has nothing to do with weapons of mass destruction. Iran was finally able to come up with its first nuclear reactor with the cooperation of Russia (Russian government agency Rosatom) at the Persian gulf coast on Sep 2011 in Bushehr. Finally USA and West got worried and under the guise that Iran has been on the path to develop nuclear weapons, they started imposing sanctions on Iran. US Sanctions: 1. Executive Order 13574 of May 23, 2011 2. Executive Order 13590 of November 20, 2011, Details of Sanctions: a. Sanctions on companies doing business with Iran and ban on imports. b. Sanctions on Iranian financial institutions and banks. By Feb 2012, US frozen all the properties of the Central Bank of Iran and other financial institutions of Iran including Iranian government in US. c. US imposed sanctions against Iran Air and Tidewater Middle East Co. that both have been involved in activities including illegal weapons transportation. It broke the air transportation link. d. US also started to designate a number of senior Iranian officials under the Human Rights Abuses Sanctions. e. US has been targeting energy sector of Iran which is the backbone of Iranian economy and that provides about 80% of government revenues f. Over all US has been trying to isolate Iran from the international financial system by pressuring other countries to adopt and intensify sanctions against Iran. European Union Sanctions:

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On Jan 23, 2012, EU agreed to an oil embargo on Iran, effective from July and meantime reduction of oil import till Jul. Against the sanction, Iran went a step further. Before the EU members could stop the import, Iran from its own side stopped export of oil to UK and France, However fact was that these two nations were already eliminated their reliance on Iranian oil. Later Iran thought of stopping oil export to Greece, Spain and Italy which were heavily dependent on Iranian oil and It impacted Italy immensely. They tried blacklisting banks of Iran including Central Bank of Iran. Other nations and relation with Iran: Japan was in the grave need to oil after its nuclear disaster of Mar 2011 but it has gradually reduced the import of Petroleum from Iran. India takes decision in National Interest and does not follow the US/West blindly. Being a rapidly developing nation, It has higher need of energy security including petroleum. It did not reduce or stopped importing of oil and a delegates including secretary level dignitary went to Iran for higher bilateral trade relation and mechanism for payment to Iran in future. India also could have got cheaper oil in case world started stopping oil from Iran. India did not put sanctions as India has normal relation with Iran and India needs support of Asian nations and its neighbours for better geopolitical position in Asia. Pakistan is a nuclear power and there is always thread of misuse of nuclear weapons seeing the growing terrorism in Pakistan and hence a strong Iran is required to make Pakistan behave responsibly, however we do not and can not support a new nation(here it is Iran) to come up with nuclear weapon but at the same time we want a stable and not weak Iran. China and Russia have always supported Iran and they have openly opposed the sanctions of US and West on Iran. Russia has civil nuclear cooperation with Iran and Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant has come in operation due to Russian help. In this way, Russia has been getting economical benefits as well as a strong ally to check the growth of power of US in Asia and Indian ocean region. Though the cold war between Russia(formerly USSR) and USA finished in 1991 but still Russia does not want that the current world order with US hegemony. China is of the same point of view. Right now, Though Russia has more nuclear weapons due to it got by inheritance but China is second power of the world after US and hence quite natural that there will be conflict with US for the influence in the world and power sharing. Saudi Arabia though a part of Islamic world but it is ally of US/West. It is not at the good terms with Iran and Syria. The same Saudi Arab which supported the immunity from prosecution to Yemeni President Saleh and provided safe passage to USA without caring about democratic rights of Yemeni people, The same Saudi Arabia which was engaged in cracking down and killing of supporters of democracy against monarchical/autocratic rule of Khalifa (King) by sending its military in other sovereign nation in Mar 2011, Is now speaking about the rights of Syrian people against Assad. It is worth appreciating that Saudi Arabia should support the supported of democracy in Syria but It would have been better if It would have also supported the people of its neighbouring countries for the same cause of democracy. So, It is clear that its stands depends and changes with the need of USA and West rather the need of reason or humanity. We know that Iran is on conflict with USA and hence the Saudi Arabia. Apart from this, being monarchical regime, It is against Iran which is republic. This has caused Cold War situation in the region between Iran and Saudi Arabia and they are competing for dominance. The ally of Iran (Here Syria) will be the enemy of Saudi Arabia. Israel is a single non Islamic region in the middle east region. It has not only continued its stable existence but also it has strengthened and empowered since its inception in 1948. The reasons for its strength are high intellectual people, better financial backup and strong alliance with US. Though around

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2% percent of the U.S. population is Jews but they occupy around 7 percent of board seats in U.S. corporations. The wall street of America is dominated by Jews. So, Jews have high stake in US economy and thats the reason US always supports the cause of Israel. Here Israel may be a small nations but it has always defeated big Islamic nations in its surrounding. Its intelligence system is so robust that It got confirmed that the Egypt was planning to attack in few days and hence it went for preemptive attack with all vigour on Egypt, defeated them and captured land in Sinai peninsula. The same story was repeated with Syria and captured Golan height during 6 days war in 1967. All these dominance of Israel against Islamic nationalism (which started after fall and fragmentation of Ottoman empire in 1920s due to defeat in 2nd world war) is not seen easily by Iran for being leading strong country in the middle east and being not on good terms with USA. There was allegation of bomb attack on Israeli people in India and Thailand recently, Iran also alleges Israel for killing of its nuclear scientists. Now matter has become so hot that Israel has threatened Iran to attack with nuclear bomb on its nuclear reactor which is the root casue of on going disputes between US and Iran. This would be highly destructive. It seems that Israel has become a tool of disturbance in the hands of US (though US is instigating or not) to threat middle east powers especially Iran. While returning from Apr 2012 Nuclear Security Summit, Seoul, US president has appealed all nations for strong imposition of sanctions against Iran. He has raised the concern that despite friendly relations with the United States, India has so far defied pressure to shut off oil from Iran. And he has also told that Countries to choose between trade with the United States or Iranian oil. The situation is grim, We dont want a new war in middle east. This is also right the race of nuclear weapons should be stopped immediately but Iran says that Its nuclear programme is exclusively for civil purpose. Its high time to go for more engagements with Iran and make the world a secure living planet.