Iranian Nuclear Diplomacy and Nuclear non-proliferation Negotiations (2002-2015)

Abstract

Iranian nuclear diplomacy is a fascinating, but frustrating subject. Interpreting it requires new, sophisticated tools of analysis. My PhD study goes far beyond textbooks which examine Iranian nuclear diplomacy by way of diplomatic history. It provides a comprehensive, enduring and useful framework for understanding for Iranian nuclear decision making and diplomatic patterns of behaviour. For the past two decades, Iran has exercised a distinctive combination of rigidity and flexibility in its nuclear policy. This dual nature is summarised as 'staying firm in principle but flexible in tactics'. My study applies a blend of diplomatic theories and the linkage approach to make sense of the changing dynamics of Iranian nuclear diplomacy from 2002 to 2015. It examines the effect of fundamental changes on the patterns of its external behaviour at varying individual levels and their effect on the policy choices of decision-makers. By emphasising the interactions between micro policy-making and the three dimensions of the macrostructure -symbolic, institutional and power/regime- the research examines the link between different variables affecting Iranian nuclear diplomacy and decision-makers' choices including alternatives. Such an approach provides an interdisciplinary framework for analysis and should facilitate a better understanding of the country's nuclear diplomacy, its principal characteristics, and its future directions, as well as the policy-making process itself.