At least one thing mullahs in Iran seems to be doing right for sure is that they have learned from the lessons of the Iraq Iran war, just the same as the many western nations learned from the WWII experience is that one's independence and security ties very much to one's self-sufficiency.
So for the past 15+ years they have been investing a good chunk of the Oil money into higher education and industrialization of the country. This in addition to the unprecedented growth in population have put a serious dent into the country’s energy consumption. It is estimated that within the next 20 years Iran will be a net importer of energy, not exporter. Even thought during the last 10+ years the country’s net exports have been steadily declining in favor of non-oil goods from 93% to 85% it still heavily relies on the oil money as its major source of foreign currency.
That is one of the main reasons why the moderates and the conservatives alike in Iran are all supporting the nuclear energy production as an alternative source of energy. They want to substitute the domestic use of gas & oil so these resources are free for exportation as well as to ensure that the future generations won’t be left without a reliable energy source once the oil starts to run out.
Now of course we all know that once you have so many reactors as they intend to have within the next 10+ years, they could turn them into military use should the security conditions dictates such necessities.
But does this mean that Iran currently is trying to make the bomb; I doubt it. It is just not rational under the current political conditions, to go that route before you have the means to do so as having a bomb or two doesn’t completely address all the Iran’s security issues and IMO mullahs know that very well!
One thing these mullahs are not is "stupid" and that is for sure, I am afraid!
So for the past 15+ years they have been investing a good chunk of the Oil money into higher education and industrialization of the country. This in addition to the unprecedented growth in population have put a serious dent into the country’s energy consumption. It is estimated that within the next 20 years Iran will be a net importer of energy, not exporter. Even thought during the last 10+ years the country’s net exports have been steadily declining in favor of non-oil goods from 93% to 85% it still heavily relies on the oil money as its major source of foreign currency.
That is one of the main reasons why the moderates and the conservatives alike in Iran are all supporting the nuclear energy production as an alternative source of energy. They want to substitute the domestic use of gas & oil so these resources are free for exportation as well as to ensure that the future generations won’t be left without a reliable energy source once the oil starts to run out.
Now of course we all know that once you have so many reactors as they intend to have within the next 10+ years, they could turn them into military use should the security conditions dictates such necessities.
But does this mean that Iran currently is trying to make the bomb; I doubt it. It is just not rational under the current political conditions, to go that route before you have the means to do so as having a bomb or two doesn’t completely address all the Iran’s security issues and IMO mullahs know that very well!
One thing these mullahs are not is "stupid" and that is for sure, I am afraid!
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