09.10.2024, 00:03
Zitat:Rising call for nukeshttps://www.tehrantimes.com/news/504740/...-for-nukes
October 8, 2024 - 21:59
Unchecked Israeli aggression fuels Iranian public demands for nuclear weapons
[...]
The JCPOA, signed in 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group of nations, was a deal that limited Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for the termination of Western sanctions. Washington withdrew from the pact in 2018, and its European allies, namely Germany, Britain, and France, began shunning their commitments despite remaining as official signatories. Since the U.S. left the nuclear pact, Tehran has been subject to more sanctions and economic pressure compared to when there was no JCPOA.
The collapse of the JCPOA has certainly reduced the stigma around nuclear weapons, but the primary driver behind the increasing number of Iranians favoring the possession of nukes is believed to be an unprecedented surge of Israeli violence and aggression in the region.
After pulverizing the Gaza Strip and gradually moving towards bombing Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen, Iranians are increasingly concerned about whether their country has enough deterrence to prevent Israel from repeating these actions against Iran.
While Tehran undeniably has far more sophisticated military capabilities than its regional counterparts, many speculate that it’s only a matter of time before Israel takes action against Iran as well. The regime has already taken the bold step of assassinating a prominent Palestinian leader on Iranian territory. Observers argue that there’s little reason to think Israel wouldn’t attempt to replicate its actions in Gaza against Iranians, especially since many of its politicians have already issued threats to do so.
“The issue of deterrence has always been of paramount importance in a volatile region like West Asia,” said Mahdi Khanalizadeh, a West Asia expert and scholar. “But in the wake of the past year's events, the concept of deterrence has transcended the realm of academic discourse and become a subject of contemplation not only for researchers and analysts but also for ordinary citizens,” he added.
Despite Israel's status as a nuclear power and Tehran's lack thereof, Iran has twice attempted to establish deterrence against Israel within the past year. Once in April when Israel attacked the Iranian embassy in Damascus, and once earlier this month in response to the regime’s assassination of Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
“Both operations against Israel, which involved the firing of hundreds of drones and missiles at the occupied territories, have been successful and Israel has decided to de-escalate in return. However, given the rogue nature of the regime, nobody knows if Iran will have to make similar decisions in the future. That’s why more and more people are thinking about nuclear weapons. Because Israel has them, and Iran doesn’t.”
A poll conducted between February 20th and May 26th by an opinion research firm based in Canada revealed that nearly 70% of Iranians supported the development of nuclear weapons. It is anticipated that this percentage has increased since then.