Deterrence and Stability in the Middle East: The Role of a Nuclear Armed Iran

The significance of nuclear deterrence in today’s multi-polar world cannot be underestimated. With the end of cold war in 1991 more states have felt the need of acquiring nuclear weapons. The fear of destruction is one of the main reasons why states go nuclear. States like North Korea, India and Pakistan have employed this notion in defense of their nuclear statuses. The Iran-Israeli relationship in the Middle East has been frigid since2005 due to the Iran nuclear program which is widely perceived as a threat to Israel and the West. Though, the relationship between these two states has been tense since the Arab-Israeli war period. The shift from friendly to hostile relations between both countries has been said to be motivated by both the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran with its revolutionary ideology and the political situation in the region in combination with international factors. This research is aimed at investigating if nuclear deterrence is a possible means of ensuring stability between Israel and Iran in Middle East. Looking at how deterrence ensured stability during the cold war to a certain extent, will a nuclear Iran stabilize the Middle East? The first chapter of this research provides introduction, historical background, and hypothesis, purpose of research, research question, methodology and scope of research. Chapter two aims at providing literature review and theoretical framework on nuclear weapons and deterrence. This chapter is a comprehensive survey on scholarly research on nuclear deterrence. Chapter three is an overview of nuclear weapons and Iran-Israel relationship in the Middle East. This chapter captures Iran-Israeli nuclear approaches. Chapter four opens on the view of Iran nuclear program by regional and external actors with U.S and international policies towards Iran’s nuclear intention. Chapter five covers the theoretical analysis and reasons for Iran’s possession of nuclear weapon in the Middle East and how it can ensure stability using neo-realism. Chapter six is conclusion and recommendation Keywords: Deterrence, Stability, Nuclear weapon, Israel-Iran, Retaliation, Defense