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Why Iran Will Never Give Up Its Nuclear Weapons

(Gatestone Institute) Amin Sharifi - Iran's ruling elite believes that both its survival and its mission depend on acquiring nuclear weapons. They saw what happened to Libya and Ukraine when their leaders gave up their nuclear weapons, and understood that this was not the way to go. To Iran's rulers, their nuclear program is the centerpiece of Iran's ideology and propaganda. The regime's worldview is not just authoritarian, it is theological. It sees the world in binary terms: believers and infidels, Shiites and non-Shiites. It believes that history is heading toward a final confrontation in which Iran will be prepared militarily and spiritually to lead. That is why the Iranian nuclear program is not negotiable. It is holy, sacred. Iran's leadership sees deception not as dishonorable, but as strategic. The Islamic doctrine of taqiyya, or religiously sanctioned deception, allows lying to infidels in the name of survival or victory. Therefore, any agreement is ultimately meaningless to a regime that views deception as doctrine. Western diplomats still behave as if they're dealing with a conventional authoritarian state. They're not. They're dealing with an absolutist religious movement that uses treaties as cover and smiles as strategy. In reality, a deal will only give Iran more time and more cover to evade whatever it agrees to. It will never voluntarily give up its nuclear ambitions.
2025-06-10 00:00:00
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