Abstract
<jats:p>Nuclear Iran: Deterrence, Power Shifts, and the Future of the Middle East investigates the rise of the nuclear question in Iran — one of the most consequential geopolitical developments of the modern Middle East. The Iranian nuclear programme, this book argues, is not merely a technical or military problem: it is a question of history, sovereignty, deterrence, sanctions, and the regional and global balance of power. Iranian fears of external intervention and Western pressure, together with Israel’s nuclear advantage and the chronic instability of the region, have stood at the heart of Tehran’s security concerns for decades — shaping its strategic thinking and its determination to retain the capacity to develop nuclear weapons as a manifestation of independence and resistance. Tracing the programme from its origins under the Atoms for Peace initiative, through the 1979 revolution and the searing experience of the Iran–Iraq War, the book shows how nuclear capability became embedded in Iran’s national security doctrine — a guarantor of regime survival in a region where states that abandoned their nuclear programmes did not survive foreign intervention. It examines the logic of deterrence through the lenses of realism, deterrence theory, constructivism, and the security dilemma, building an integrated analytical model for understanding why states pursue the bomb. The volume then widens its aperture to the regional and global stage: Israel’s nuclear monopoly and its impact on Middle Eastern geopolitics; the fears of the Gulf states; the policies of the United States, Russia, and China; the economics of sanctions and their role in pushing the nuclear debate from a purely military dimension into a broader geopolitical contest; the emergence of the Axis of Resistance; and the Iran–Israel–U.S. confrontation of 2026, whose escalation dynamics and strategic aftermath are analysed in detail. A closing chapter offers recommendations for the world — from revived diplomatic engagement and a reinforced NPT framework to regional security cooperation and the management of nuclear escalation risks. This book is not designed to promote or glorify nuclear weapons. Its purpose is to critically examine the rationale behind states’ nuclear policies, the nature of deterrence, and the implications of its adoption for regional and global security. By situating Iran’s nuclear pursuit within a broader historical, strategic, economic, and ideological framework, it gives readers a deeper understanding of one of the most contentious questions of contemporary international relations.</jats:p>