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Having destroyed Saddam Hussein’s nuclear, biological and chemical weapons programs, the United States and the international community must now focus on a problem that could very well be even more threatening to the stability of the Middle East: the prospect of a nuclear Iran. The possibility of Iran gaining nuclear weapons capability within the next few years would not only be a direct challenge to the United States’ nonproliferation policy, it would also be a deadly threat to our allies in the region.

Iran has a history of supporting terrorist activity in the region. Throughout the 1980s, Iran supported terrorist actions such as the kidnappings of citizens from the United States and other Westernized nations, and the 1983 U.S. embassy bombing in Beirut. During the 1980s and 1990s, Iran established terrorist training camps in the Bekaa Valley of Eastern Lebanon. The government may also be supporting al-Qaeda terrorists, such as operational chief Saif al Adel currently thought to be “detained” in Iran. With such historical and current ties to terrorist groups, any nuclear weapons within Iran could easily fall into terrorist hands – either with terrorists seizing the weapons by force, or through sympathizers within the government secretly handing them over. Such a scenario would be catastrophic if it were to occur, giving terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda the means to achieve their main goal – bringing destruction to the United States.

In dealing with the threat of Iran’s nuclear ambitions, the United States must show steadfast determination and use its leadership role to unite the international community in a strong stand against Iran – diplomatically, and if necessary, through force. President George W. Bush has made it clear that the United States “will not tolerate construction of a nuclear weapon” within Iran.

Such a statement could be interpreted to mean that the United States would take any step necessary to see that Iran does not acquire a nuclear arsenal, whether it is through ongoing diplomatic and political pressure, or through covert support of Iranian opposition groups to topple the current regime.

The current, and most desirable plan to counter Iran’s nuclear ambitions is for the United States to continue its support of the international community in its effort to pressure Iran into complying with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons – a treaty Iran signed along with 186 other nations. The purpose of this treaty was to ensure that the signatories without nuclear arsenals would not pursue any nuclear weapons programs. To enforce this treaty, the International Atomic Energy Agency must continue to put pressure on the Iranian government.

But so far the IAEA has not backed its pressure with any specific consequences if Iran fails to comply and does not fully disclose its nuclear program. Thus, the United States must be willing to push for sanctions on Iran if it cannot work through the IAEA. Hopefully, the threat of international sanctions will force the leaders of Iran to come to their senses and realize their nuclear ambitions will hurt the nation economically more than it would benefit them strategically.

However, if Iran continues to defy the international community and goes ahead with its nuclear weapons program, the United States must weigh its options carefully. In such a scenario the Bush administration must keep the military option of striking Iran on the table – either through covertly supporting and arming Iranian opposition groups or through surgical air strikes against known nuclear facilities. Such actions may seem extreme, but when faced with the alternative – nuclear weapons in the hands of a country that has known ties to terrorism – everything must be done to keep Iran in compliance with the IAEA and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Everything must be done to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

Vaszari is a third-year political science student.

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