JSPES, Vol. 32, No. 2 (Spring 2007)
pp. 3-21

Iran, Israel and the United States: The Nuclear Paradox

Gawdat Bahgat

The debate over Iran’s nuclear program has become a major source of international tension. The United States, Israel and other Western powers accuse Iran of seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. Tehran denies these accusations. Israel, the only nuclear power in the Middle East, has threatened to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities. This essay examines the history of the Iranian and Israeli nuclear programs, and provides an assessment of the military and diplomatic options in respect of nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.