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10 Ways to Understand Iran's Nuclear Decision-Making

Nabo Sanboli maintains that Western countries will not benefit if they continue to misunderstand Iran’s religious-rational approach to international issues.
Iranian workers stand in front of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, about 1,200 km (746 miles) south of Tehran October 26, 2010. Iran has begun loading fuel into the core of its first nuclear power plant on Tuesday, one of the last steps to realising its stated goal of becoming a peaceful nuclear power, state-run Press TV reported on Tuesday. REUTERS/Mehr News Agency/Majid Asgaripour (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ENERGY IMAGES OF THE DAY) - RTXTUI4

According to the Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, published March 12, Iran’s nuclear capability is a reality. Iran has the capability to make nuclear weapons and doing so is a matter of political will. The report also says that the Iranian government is a rational actor: “We judge Iran’s nuclear decision-making is guided by a cost-benefit approach …”

What the United States needs to understand, however, is that the Iranian leaders follow religious rationality rather than a secular rationality.

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