Abstract
Chapter 8 examines the reasons behind the U.S. and its allies’ nuclear dispute with Iran. It discusses the issue of nuclear technology development in Iran, its impact on the balance of power in the Persian Gulf region, the West’s strategic interest in the region, and why oil geopolitics plays a role in the dispute. The chapter describes the United States and its Western allies’ accusation of Iran pursuing the manufacture of nuclear bombs, which they claim is a threat to their interests in the region and the security of Israel. At the same time, the U.S. has established major military bases in the region equipped with nuclear weapons that can be used to attack Iran. Iranian officials have said that Iran’s nuclear program is for peaceful purposes and claim that the U.S.’ accusation is an excuse for expanding its hegemony over the vast oil resources in the region. Iran insists that it has an “inalienable right” under Article IV of the NPT to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
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Notes
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Torbat, A.E. (2020). Iran’s Nuclear Dispute with the West. In: Politics of Oil and Nuclear Technology in Iran. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33766-7_8
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