Iran's presidents have defined the Islamic Republic's attitudes towards the rest of the world. Never has this been more true than now. In this book Siavush Randjbar-Daemi presents an in-depth analysis of the evolution of the Iranian presidency from its inception in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution to the present day. He offers detailed narratives of each president's ascent to the post and their struggles to acquire authority and maintain relevance within the political process. The figures under consideration include the widely-admired Mohammad Khatami, the internationally-criticised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the incumbent president Hassan Rouhani, who steered the decade-long nuclear confrontation between Iran and the West towards a diplomatic conclusion. This book sheds light on the extraordinarily complex workings of the Iranian state, taking into account both the opportunities and challenges that each president has faced whilst in power. It will be essential reading for scholars of Iranian history, political science and international diplomacy.

Contemporary political history.

Iran's presidents have defined the Islamic Republic's attitudes towards the rest of the world. Never has this been more true than now. In this book Siavush Randjbar-Daemi presents an in-depth analysis of the evolution of the Iranian presidency from its inception in the aftermath of the Islamic Revolution to the present day. He offers detailed narratives of each president's ascent to the post and their struggles to acquire authority and maintain relevance within the political process. The figures under consideration include the widely-admired Mohammad Khatami, the internationally-criticised Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the incumbent president Hassan Rouhani, who steered the decade-long nuclear confrontation between Iran and the West towards a diplomatic conclusion. This book sheds light on the extraordinarily complex workings of the Iranian state, taking into account both the opportunities and challenges that each president has faced whilst in power. It will be essential reading for scholars of Iranian history, political science and international diplomacy.

Seminar paper from the year 2011 in the subject Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict, Security, grade: 2,0, University of the Federal Armed Forces München (Institut für Politikwissenschaft), course: U.S. Nonproliferation and Counterproliferation Policy, language: English, abstract: Since the uprising in North Africa and the Middle East and the horrific tsunami in Japan the nuclear program of Iran moved into the background of international politics. But the issue is still newsworthy. For many years Iran is in a negative focus of Western governments and media. The reason for this is the speculation about the secret development of a nuclear bomb by Iran in coherence with its nuclear program. There has been some evidence that Tehran strives for becoming a nuclear power. In 2002 the uranium enrichment plant in Natanz and the heavy-water reactor in Arak were detected. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) started their investigations, but could not find any sign for a military nuclear program, although they talk about a “policy of deception” by Iran. They stated therefore simply: “Iran has failed to meet its obligations under its Safeguard Agreements with respect to the reporting of nuclear material, the subsequent processing and use of that material and the declaration of facilities where the material was stored and processed". This event called up distrust by the West. The Western states, mainly the United States, Great Britain, France and Germany still accuse Iran to keep some parts of the nuclear program secret, while officials of the Iranian government try to assure the intention for a peaceful use of nuclear energy. One of the main problems is that a military nuclear program is hard to differ from a peaceful one. The difference between a peaceful nuclear program and a military nuclear program, with a nuclear bomb in its result, is only approximately 5 percent in the final-stage of the development. When Iran would have been built up the full nuclear cycle for a peaceful use of nuclear energy the country would have the possibility to develop nuclear weapons in a short time. This leads necessarily to the question which of these positions is the right one. Does Iran really like to develop the nuclear bomb or is the fear of the West disproportionate? If Iran tries to use „atoms for peace“ there should be no problem, but the last years where characterized by secretiveness from the Iranian side towards the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and a lurching in the bargaining position during the negotiations with the United States and the EU-3 (Great Britain, France and Germany). To the Western civilization this seems as an indication for a secret military nuclear program...

At a time when international terrorism is the focal point of our concerns, a far more pressing threat has arisen to the balance of power in the world and ultimately to the security of our country. Since the Islamic Republic of Iran admitted, just two years ago, that it was secretly producing highly enriched, weapons-grade uranium, leading nations have struggled to react in an appropriate manner. In this book, the U.S. public is able to learn, in full detail and for the first time, exactly what the Europeans and UN have been trying to forestall. In Iran we see a country, located at the center of the uraniumMiddle East, which could very shortly have the ability to strike its immediate neighbors and nations farther away with nuclear weapons. With the innate size to dominate its region, Iran is also a country with an avowed mission to export it's theocratic principles, and a nation which has, over the past 25 years, been a notorious supporter of terrorist organizations. Its parallel development of atomic bombs comprises the greatest threat that we have seen in the new millennium. In Iran's Nuclear Option, defense expert Al J. Venter details the extent to which Iran's weapons program has developed, and the clandestine manner in which its nuclear technology has been acquired. He demonstrates how Tehran has violated the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and details the involvement of several countries who have been shown by the IAEA to have trafficked in illegal nuclear materials. He proves, for the first time, a direct link between the now-defunct South African apartheid regime's nuclear program and Tehran's current nuclear ambitions. Venter digs deep into ancillary subjects, such as Iran's fervor on behalf of Shiite Islam, its missile program--developed alongside its nuclear one--and the role of the Pasdaran (Revolutionary Guards), whose tentacles have spread throughout the Middle East and increasingly further afield. While noting Tehran's support of terrorist groups such as Hizbollah, Venter follows closely how the Persian homeland itself has progressed toward a strategic nuclear capability that would make recent terrorist attacks look obsolete. Iran's Nuclear Option is essential reading for anyone with an interest in global security and the perilous volatility of the Middle East. It also comprises an indicator for America's own options, should it be willing to counter the threat while time remains, in favor of world peace rather than greater global instability.