Paper #2
(5 pages of text; single-spaced; references on the 6th page; Due Date: May 4, 10:00 am, PST)
The Biden administration is renegotiating a nuclear deal with Iran. The global community continues to debate how to respond to Iran’s alleged interest in developing and potentially acquiring nuclear weapons. Many, especially in Israel and Saudi Arabia, believe a “strong” response is required to prevent this development, and the lifting of the sanctions by the Obama Administration was a big mistake (and welcomed when the Trump administration reimposed the sanctions). Others, especially in Europe and in Russia, are less favorable towards the idea of a strong response to dissuade Iran from pursuing its nuclear ambitions. Complicating the issue is the ongoing conflicts in Syria, Yemen, and Iraq that have turned the Iran sanctions into a wider subject of Middle Eastern politics.
Why do actors advocate different policy choices (i.e., support or oppose reimposing of sanctions) on how to respond to Iran’s nuclear program? Identify the specific policy options advocated by Israel, the Biden Administration, and France. What objectives do these actors wish to achieve? How might these actors think of the benefits and costs of their preferred option as well as the options offered by the other two actors? Make sure that you relate how domestic, regional, or international considerations influence the perceptions of benefits and costs of various options.
Your paper should be directed toward an academic audience. You are expected to undertake research on this subject by carefully reading and referencing 7-10 articles that are not included in the syllabus; can help you to identify published work on this subject. Newspaper articles and encyclopedia references do not constitute such sources. Wikipedia is not an appropriate source for this either.
