Iran and Nuclear Weapon

Abstract: In the last couple of years there have been a lot of debate and discussion in the media and academia concerning Iran ́s nuclear program and the possibility that they want to develop nuclear weapons. This paper will seek to explain why a state may take the important decision to develop nuclear weapons and why some states never make that choice. By using Iran as an example the paper seeks to present five different models that each has a different answer to this question. The models presented in this paper will have their theoretical basis in five different approaches: Realism, Liberalism, Constructivism, Feminism and Political Psychology. Each model focuses on different aspects of Iran’s situation and explain why that aspect is important to understand. By presenting these models the paper hopes to give the reader a fundamental understanding of the nuclear non- proliferation debate and why it can be very difficult to know how to respond when new states are accused of trying to develop nuclear weapons.