Iran: Three Models for an Analysis of Nuclear Motivations
Abstract
This article deals with the Iranian motivations for building military nuclear
programme. The motivations are analyzed through three models presented
by Scott D. Sagan (1997): the security model, the domestic politics model
and the norm model. These models are used in a competitive way. We claim
that despite the fact that all the models are able to find certain motivations
in the case of Iran, the security model is the best model in terms of
applicability, but only when its weak aspects are overcome. Regarding the
domestic politics model we were able to identify the structures (the
Revolutionary Guards and scientists) which might have the greatest profit
from Iran’s nuclearization. However, other motivations within the political
system are hardly found. From the perspective of the normative model we
discuss the role of international and cultural norms in the context of the
Iranian nuclear programme, and we especially discuss the image of
modernity, nationalism and the double standard applied from the side of
the Western countries in connection with this topic.
Keywords
Iran, motivations, proliferation, nuclear weapons, Sagan
Author Biography
Ondřej Filipec
Born in 1986, he is an assistant at the Department of Politics and European
Studies (KPES) of the Faculty of Philosophy at Palacky University (UP), where
he teaches courses focused on European integration and the issue of
weapons of mass destruction. He studied Political Science and European
Studies at KPES, and European Studies with a focus on European Law at the
Law Faculty of UP. He also studied European Studies at the University of The
Hague. He completed internships in the Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons and the European Commission, and he also completed
the training course at the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive
Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation. He is currently writing a dissertation
on the chemical regulation REACH.
Juraj Hanuliak
Born in 1986, he studied Political Science at the Faculty of Arts and the
Social Sciences Faculty of the University of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in
Trnava. Currently he is a postgraduate student of Political Science at the
Department of Political Science and European Studies, Palacky University in
Olomouc, and he also studies Political and Cultural Geography at the
Department of Social Geography and Regional Development of the Faculty
of Natural Sciences at the University of Ostrava. The main areas of his interest include the Baltic region, its historical and political development,
theory of democracy and non-democratic regimes and political geography.