[Arxces]

First and foremost, it needs to be understood just what type of a weapon nuclear weapons are. Nuclear weapons in modern warfare are not the offensive weapons of mass destruction they are often thought as. On the contrary, they are a deterrent above all else. Any nation possessing nuclear weapons, and the vehicle to deliver them reliably worldwide, has effectively immunised itself from any conventional attack from any other nation. However, using nuclear weapons without cause brings with it very severe consequences from the international community, thus preventing a nation from using nuclear weapons as first-strike weapons.

Iran understands this dynamic. Despite rhetoric by Ahmadinejad on wiping Israel off the map, he understands that in order for Iran to become a regional power, it cannot perform such an attack, lest it alienate other nations in the area, who may turn to the US for support and defence. This scenario would give the US further mandate to establish power bases in the region and would generate support for the War on Terror.

However, there is great incentive for Iran to develop nuclear weapons, thanks to the way the US handled Iraq and North Korea. The former is a relatively peaceful nation (less wars fought than the US) which did not have any nuclear capability, and was invaded for supposedly having WMDs. The latter is a rogue state, an international pariah, who openly admits to having nuclear capability and has expressed it's hatred for the west, but did not get invaded. Looking at these examples, it is clear to Iran that it must develop nuclear weapons in order to not get invaded (a very realistic possibility in the War on Terror).

Finally, regardless of the legalities and international diplomacy, the conduct of the US has inevitably driven Iran into this position. Iran has immense potential as an oil-producer; a potential that has not been exploited well, and this makes it an attractive target for invasion by the US. The right-wing's invasion rhetoric is not helping in alleviating the circumstance either. On the contrary, the threat of invasion could have sent Iran scrambling to develop nuclear weapons, in order to deter invasion.

It is undeniable that Iran has the right to peaceful exploitation of nuclear energy. It is also a disturbing prospect that it may develop nuclear weapons. However, the international community, and especially the US, need to examine their strategies in preventing Iran's ascent as a nuclear power, especially with respect to their lack of success. If Iran does acquire nuclear weapons, the whole world is to blame.