IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM: DISCURSIVE CONTEXTS AND DIVERSE VIEWS

The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of various approaches on Iran’s nuclear program and the frameworks within which the approaches can be located. It first addresses different views held in relevant think tanks and academic circles in the U.S. regarding Iran’s nuclear program, including motivation-based and consequence-based arguments in their different variants. Then Iranians’ views will be discussed to demonstrate the diversity of approaches to the issue. These include those who reject efforts to obtain nuclear energy, those who support it, those who are for nuclear capability, and a minority who are for nuclear weapons. The main argument here is that a variety of discursive contexts including National Security Discourse, Ideological Discourse, and National Pride Discourse, constitute the significance of nuclear debates and make them meaningful.