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Discursive Foundations of Iran's Nuclear Policy

Department of International Relations, University of Tehran, Iran

During the last few years, Iran's nuclear policy has become one of the most important issues in international relations. Some aspects of this policy have been more or less constant, while others have changed dramatically. `Rationalist' explanations cannot provide a fully consistent account of Iran's nuclear policy. This article attempts to explain the policy and its continuities and changes on the basis of a discursive approach, in which the constitutive effects of domestic meaning structures on the state's identity, and hence its preferences, are more emphasized. The main argument is that three discourses that contributed to the constitution of the identity of the 1978—79 revolutionary movement and later the identity of the Islamic Republic have made Iran's nuclear policy possible. Discourses of independence and justice give meaning to Iran's persistence in following its nuclear program, and a discourse of resistance can explain its recent less flexible and more confrontationist policies.

Key Words: Iran • nuclear policy • foreign policy discourse • independence • justice

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Security Dialogue, Vol. 38, No. 4, 521-543 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0967010607084999


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Moshirzadeh, H. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?