IRANIAN NUCLEAR PROGRAMME AND U.S.–ISRAEL’S NATIONAL SECURITY: HISTORICAL APPROACH: 1990-2011

Abstract

Contemporary World Politics hardly goes without one talking about nuclear issues; if not about the World Powers, it will either be Iran or states referred to as Rogue Nations. It has become a recurring decimal, in a situation where a day hardly goes without a reference to the crisis of Iran's nuclear weapon development. This is because the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was signed in 1968, which came into force in 1970, as the centrepiece of the global non-proliferation regime. However, the recent move by Iran to develop nuclear technology and capacity has been causing serious disquiet around the globe, in addition to the volatile nature of the Middle East as the haven of Rogue States. The study investigates historically the synergy between the existential threat faced by Israel at the hands of nuclear Iran on the one hand, and the national interest of the United States in the Middle East on the other hand, via the United States insistence on denuclearising Iran. The paper made use of secondary sources of data collection such as textbooks, journals, Newspapers, Magazines and internet sources. A descriptive method of data analysis is used. The paper adopted the Power theory as its theoretical framework. The paper revealed that while America is seeking to protect its interest and that of its allies in the
Middle East, Iran, on the other hand, seeks to enhance its military capacity against real and perceived military attack, especially from its long-standing enemy, Israel. The paper recommends that both the U.S, Israel and Iran should seek a diplomatic solution to resolve their face-off rather than military confrontation. America is a victim of its contradiction, having applied a double standard on its earlier role in Iran and the entire Middle East.