Ajao Blog Post #2

Iran and the Nuclear Weapons 

There have been long-standing debates over whether Iran should be able to produce its own nuclear weapons. In Waltz’s article titled “Why Iran Should Get the Bomb: Nuclear Balancing Would Mean Stability”, he discusses an argument that is not deemed popular by many, where Iran should be able to obtain and create their own nuclear weaponry. Waltz brings up the idea that Iran would be able to enjoy the benefits of having a nuclear weapon such as having their own personal security and how there is no evidence that they will strike Israel but actually be deterred from using the bomb. Waltz believes that if Iran gets the bomb, they might become aware that they are move of a threat like countries have in the past. Waltz creates a strong argument that no states with both having nuclear weapons go to war and the fear of having a nuclear war is low. Kahl argues in his response to Waltz's “Iran and the Bomb: Would a Nuclear Iran Make the Middle East More Secure?” he debates Waltz by saying that Iran’s government supports terrorist groups and that there is no evidence that Iran would actually become more peaceful with nuclear weapons. Kahl believes that there is a chance if Iran got the bomb they would strike and there would be no protection of the bomb from terrorist groups. 

Personally, I believe that in both situations- if Iran is allowed to obtain nuclear weapons or not there needs to be some involvement of what the citizens want and their needs. I find discomfort in the idea that countries are debating over Iran having nuclear weapons and all the actions they are going to take against the Iranian leaders without realizing the impact that it has on Iran’s citizens. For example, the sanctions placed on Iran not only affect their economy but the lives of their citizens. Whether or not Iran obtains those nuclear weapons with or without approval from countries, states should look into why they are desiring them and think about how different countries have impacted Iranian citizens. 

To fully understand Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons or any country's desire for such weaponry, we must look at and understand the psychology of a country's desire and response to nuclear weapons. In “The Nuclear Arms Race and the Psychology of Power” Jerome D. Frank discusses the innate human nature to want to protect one’s country and how the typical response to both emotional and psychical attacks is actually violence. To avoid being cornered emotionally, humans desire to strike psychically so they are not seen as weak and the same goes for physical attacks. This correlates with Iran’s current response because other countries are pressuring them physically and emotionally which is igniting their response of just creating a bomb. Iranian leaders are acting in defiance of the sanctions placed on them which is promoting their desire for nuclear weapons and their want for security. Later in the section of the article that discusses weapons, Frank states “Leaders of each side apparently believe that its latest technological solution to threats created by an enemy's weapons will assure final victory, while actually, both are pursuing an ever-receding goal”. Each of the countries fighting against Iran having the bomb, rather than place sanctions or punish them physically in different ways will just create and cause more violence in the end. There will always be this psychological need to protect one’s national security and it is biased to assume that countries like Iran will not have that reaction. Rather than viewing those against nuclear weaponry as weak, we must change our way of thinking and think about what is best for all civilization. Concepts such as MAD that are supposed to deter countries from using nuclear weapons since it will cause destruction of a civilization's ending scale simply isn’t enough. We must focus more on unwinding those immediate psychological responses to search for the most violent weapon against other countries as punishment and find different ways to resolve conflict.


Institute of Medicine (US) Steering Committee for the Symposium on the Medical Implications of Nuclear War. “The Nuclear Arms Race and the Psychology of Power.” The Medical Implications of Nuclear War., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1986, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK219176/

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