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Reinterpreting Nuclear Consequences: Realism, Constructivism, And The Iranian Crisis, Harrison Diamond

International Political Economy Theses

The mainstream neoconservative perception of the persisting global conflict surrounding Iran’s nuclear program generally casts the nation as pursuing nuclear weaponry with the nefarious intentions of undermining western security interests and using these capabilities against Israel or European nations. Conversely, realist and constructivist scholars suggest that Iran’s alleged pursuit of nuclear weapons is anything but irrational. Instead, Iran’s foreign policy represents a logical reaction to regional insecurities and collective identity formed by Iran’s history of past glory and subsequent marginalization, the mutual distrust between the U.S. and Iran following the ousting of the Shah, and Iran’s domestic political dynamics all …