Iran’s nuclear program has been a hot debate for a long time. The U.S. and many other world nations believe that Iran is pursuing the means to build a nuclear weapon. However, Iran persistently denies this allegation saying that its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.
How did this issue come forward? How did Iran start its nuclear program? What do Americans think about the intention of Iranian government in its nuclear ambitions and the U.S. stance towards the issue?
The U.S. is probably the only country that is continuously demanding Iran to stop its nuclear program and is leading the group of nations that are against uranium enrichment in Iran. Iran claims it is now capable of building and developing nuclear plants on its own. However, the country could not have achieved this stage of development unless another nuclear power had helped it.
Do you know who laid the foundation for the start of nuclear program in Iran? Do you know which country helped Iran build its first nuclear reactor? Ironically, it is neither Russia nor even China, but the U.S., with the help of which Iran established its first nuclear reactor in 1967 (Bruno, 2009). Let us have a brief look at the history of Iranian nuclear program.
Iran’s nuclear program was initiated after a 1953, CIA-supported coup deposed democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammed Mossadegh and brought Shah (King) Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to power (De Luce, 2003).
In 1967 a civil nuclear co-operation program was established between Iran and the U.S. The same year, the Tehran Nuclear Research Center was established, run by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The TNRC was equipped with a U.S.-supplied, five-megawatt nuclear research reactor, which became operational in 1967 and was fueled by highly enriched uranium (Bruno, 2009).
After 1979 revolution, which overthrew the regime of shah and brought Islamic government to power, the U.S. cut its relationship with Iran, and support for Iranian nuclear projects was canceled. In late 80’s and early 90’s Iran resumed its nuclear program with the help of Russia and China.
Despite ongoing urges to impose sanctions, Iran is continuing its uranium enrichment program today. Recent news that Iran is willing to increase uranium enrichment up to 20 percent to make fuel for Tehran’s research reactor created a new level of tension in the world community.
The U.S. government thinks Iran is a threat to the stability of the world, in general, and of the region, in particular. Recent polls conducted by various media outlets and research groups showed that majority of Americans support the position of their government towards Iranian nuclear program. When NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll asked in late 2009 if the U.S. should initiate military action to destroy Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons, 52 percent of respondents answered “Yes.” In previous polls, the number of respondents who were in favor of military action was less than 50 percent.
Similarly, in CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll, 88 percent of participants were of the view that Iran is attempting to develop its own nuclear weapons. Forty two percent of Americans think that The United States should bomb Iran’s nuclear development sites, according to 2009 ABC News/Washington Post Poll.
Similarly, 78 percent of participants in 2009 Pew Research Center survey support international economic sanctions against Iran. Thirty percent of Americans are of the opinion that Iran represents a very serious threat to the U.S., while 36 percent think the threat Iran represents to the U.S. is moderately serious, as 2009 Ipsos/McClatchy Poll shows. In the same poll, 12 percent of participants said Iran is not a threat to the U.S. at all.
The polls conducted by various groups have similar results. They show that most of Americans support their government’s position towards Iran’s nuclear program that Iran is a threat to peace, and its nuclear program should be stopped.
REFERENCES:
Bruno, G. (2009). Iran’s Nuclear Program. Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/publication/16811/
De Luce, D. (2003). The spectre of Operation Ajax. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2003/aug/20/foreignpolicy.iran
No country is a threat to global peace, as the history tells us that which country has ever used the nuclear weapon. It means that too against a non nuclear Japan. It means that US is the greatest threat to global peace with its nuclear weapons. Who has given the right to US to ban others from keeping nuclear weapons? As US itself has destroyed the global peace by using it in WW2.
I agree with your views. There is no justification for war even if it claims a single person’s life.
By the way, I like your website.
Peace!