Footnote to the post titled “Nuclear Proliferation and Iran”

In order for a nuclear weapons program to take full effect, it must consist of three basic components: delivery systems, fissile material, and warheads. Iran is replete with all three components, which means that Iran has garnered recognition as an actual nuclear power. Iran is now a full-fledged member of the exclusive club of countries who are nuclear capable. But as we said before, the issue is one of regional order, not nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons are simply a starting point for a broader discussion over the issue of regional order in the Middle East. And for a stable order to take root, Kissinger argued that three ingredients are needed, namely, American diplomacy, leaders in the Middle East who subscribe to a vision for peace, and the vision for peace itself. The basic ingredients seem to be missing, which in turn explains the dire situation in the Middle East at the moment.