Book

Living on the Edge: Iran and the Practice of Nuclear Hedging

2016

Synopsis

In this book, the authors explore the controversial Iranian nuclear program through the conceptual lens of nuclear hedging.

In 2002, revelations regarding undeclared nuclear facilities thrust Iran’s nuclear activities under the spotlight and prompted concerns that Tehran was pursuing nuclear weapons. Iran has always denied nuclear weapons aspirations, yet it cannot be disputed that the Islamic Republic has gone well beyond what is required for a civil nuclear program based on energy production and scientific research.

What, then, is the nature and significance of Iran's nuclear behavior? Does it form part of a coherent strategy? What can Iran's actions in the nuclear field tell us about Tehran's intentions? And what does the Iranian case teach us about proliferation behavior more generally?

This book addresses these questions by exploring the nature of nuclear hedging and how this approach might be identified, before applying this logic to the Iranian case. It provides fresh insights into the inherently opaque area of nuclear proliferation and a more nuanced interpretation of the Iranian nuclear challenge.

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