According to Kenneth Waltz and other neorealist thinkers, power is the main driving force in any interaction between states within the international arena. States are constantly thinking about how to gain more power in order to establish themselves as dominant in relation to their neighbours. In the article “Why Iran Should Get the Bomb,” Waltz argues that the United States and the European Union should stop trying to interfere in the Iranian quest for nuclear weaponry. Israel, in particular, is especially concerned about the prospect of a nuclear Iran because it would mean the loss of Israel’s dominance in the Middle East. Israel wants to maintain its control over the nuclear market of the Middle East because that would ensure their survival since no one would dare challenge them. The concerns surrounding the possibility of Iran becoming nuclear are all rooted in this fear of losing power. Countries are mistrusting of Iranian intentions and are worried that if Iran attempts to attack with nuclear weapons, deterrence would be near impossible. Israel does not wish to lose its edge in the nuclear arena and, thus, has a significant interest in preventing Iran from achieving their goal. If Iran has nuclear weapons, Israel would be less powerful within the Middle East, no longer holding the monopoly.

However, Waltz’s argumentation centres around the idea of a balance of power. Since Israel is the only Middle Eastern country with nuclear capabilities, the introduction of Iran into the equation would only serve to create increased stability. The crisis in the Middle East, Waltz argues, was brought about thanks to Israel’s nuclear arsenal rather than the Iranian desire to create one. When one country has more power than the rest of the countries in an area, the other countries are increasingly prone to feelings of insecurity. On the other hand, when there are two or more countries which hold the same or similar amounts of power, they are less likely to engage in a conflict. Waltz strongly believes in the idea that equal amounts of power across states will increase the stability of the international sphere since no one is necessarily more powerful than anyone else. This is a clear example of Waltz’s neorealist tendencies since classical realists are more prone to believe that hegemony is the way to ensure stability in international relations. This article is a great help in discerning the differences between classical and neorealist theory and helps shed some light on the issues surrounding power politics.

Kenneth Waltz (2012) “Why Iran should get the bomb,” Foreign Affairs, 91(4): 2-5