Iranian Nuclear Program (a International Comparative Political Science Paper)

Iranian Nuclear Program The Iranian nuclear program was launched in the 1950 's with the United States and many western European governments supporting the program. The nuclear program in Iran was launched under the atoms for peace program which focused on providing energy through nuclear power. The United States and European support continued until the 1979 Iranian revolution which overthrew the ruling monarchy. After being temporarily disbanded, the nuclear program restarted with very little western assistance and major aid from Russia. In the recent years the United Nations reporting agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been denied access to certain plants and certain areas. The International Atomic Energy Agency has declared that there are strong indicators that Iran is trying to develop an atomic bomb. Iran signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1968 which focused on three primary directives; non-proliferation, disarmament, and the right to peacefully use nuclear technology. The enforcement agency of said treaty is largely the International Atomic Energy Agency. In 2003 the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had repeatedly, and over an extended period of time, failed to meet its safeguards obligations. After just over two years of diplomatic efforts and Iran temporarily suspending its enrichment program, the International Atomic Energy Agency board of Governors found that these failures constituted non-compliance. This was reported to the United Nations Security Council in 2006, after which the Security Council passed a resolution demanding that Iran suspend its enrichment program. In response Iran resumed the enrichment program. The current status of Iran 's nuclear program remains in dispute, with Iran claiming to have been in compliance the entire time and that it is operating its program for civilian nuclear energy, which is allowed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The United Nations has welcomed continued

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