Is Iran’s controversial nuclear program starting a nuclear arms race in the Middle East? If a report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) is to be believed, then at least 13 countries in the region are exploring plans to start nuclear energy programs or revive their pre-existing nuclear programs.
While it is too early to say with certainty the intention of these countries, but besides nuclear threat from Iran, soaring energy prices is seen as a major reason for these countries to explore possibilities of building nuclear reactors. For Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, it is the desire for acquiring energy independence, but for countries like Egypt and Turkey, besides the energy need it is a way of asserting their prominence in the region that is creating interest in developing nuclear programs. However, for the oil-rich Saudi Arabia nuclear projects would mean development of nuclear arsenals to act as a deterrent against archrival Iran. However, for most countries of the Middle East the huge cost of the nuclear projects, environmental concerns and the long time span required in developing nuclear reactors from the scratch means that none of these countries could develop their nuclear capabilities to rival that of Iran’s in the near future.
Despite all the brouhaha over Iran’s atomic energy programs created by White House, experts say that much of the dangers are over hyped. Although dangers of nuclear bombs cannot be ruled out, but nonetheless it is true that Iran needs a nuclear weapon to protect itself. This is the very reason that made U.S.A, Russia, China, France, Britain, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea develop their weapon programs. In fact, while U.S.A and its allies are pointing their fingers at Iran for triggering a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, they are overlooking the fact that Israel has build an estimated 100 to 200 warheads, much larger than what Iran could marshal for years to come.
