Fatwas and Centrifuges: The Iranian Nuclear Narrative

Iran started a nuclear program in the 1950s. The Shah wanted to have a nuclear program that would allow his country to diversify its energy sources, have a solution to its water shortage problems, and address its medical and industrial needs, while at the same time having a nuclear weapon option. Despite pursuing a policy of hedging, the Shah and his officials never officially admitted to this, rather insisting that Iran's nuclear program was merely peaceful. With the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the nuclear program was put on hold for several years. Indeed, the revolutionaries believed nuclear energy to be a waste of money and resources for an oil-rich country. In the middle of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), however, the Islamic Republic decided to revive the nuclear program, continuing on the same path the Shah had started. The Islamic Republic's nuclear narrative also followed the example of that of the Shah with a few exceptions. The most important difference between the two narratives lies in its religious component, shaped around the idea of the prohibition of nuclear weapons in Shi'a jurisprudence. This paper examines Iran's nuclear narrative and its evolution from the time of the Shah until today.