Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies

Major Professor

Mohsen Milani, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Mohammad Tabaar, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Holly Dunn, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jongseok Woo, Ph.D.

Keywords

Security, Non-Proliferation, Iran, Middle East

Abstract

This dissertation explores the historical evolution of Iran's nuclear program from its inception in the 1950s to the signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in 2015. It examines how threat perceptions have, over the decades, influenced Iran's nuclear posture, leading the Iranian political leadership to adopt a hedging strategy that extends beyond changes in ruling regimes. This study employs the Proliferation Strategy Theory (PST) as its theoretical foundation. This framework helps in dissecting the dynamics between threat perceptions and the candidate state's adopted nuclear posture. The principal findings of this dissertation highlight the direct impact of regional threat perceptions on Iran's nuclear posture throughout its development. Furthermore, this historical investigation underscores how the political leadership across both the Pahlavi dynasty and the Islamic Republic of Iran have pursued almost identical nuclear policies. This continuity is principally driven by shared threat perceptions and a deep-seated distrust of the international system prevalent in Iranian political thinking. It aims to maintain a nuclear option for Iran should the strategic environment necessitate a nuclear weapons arsenal Finally, it highlights that while, at times, security factors were the primary driver behind the expansion of the nuclear program, other ancillary factors, such as modernization plans and energy considerations, must be factored in dissecting the continuity and change in the evolution of Iran's nuclear program

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