As Hawk said,

The best thing would be if nobody had nuclear weapons, but it's too late for that

therefore "we" try to prevent anyone else joining the club. So far no-one has used one since Nagasaki, but the more people have one, the more likely it is some idiot will use one.

Nuclear weapons are to a nations defense what guns are to personal defense. You cannot defend yourself with a gun, all you can do is shoot the other guy (something the NRA is fundamentally unable to grasp & would resolutely refuse to understand anyway).

Nuclear weapons ditto & ten thousand-fold the effects! We can't unmake the bloody things, unfortunately. All that can done is to try to restrict their spread. And if Iran is so concerned about its future energy generation then...

I've just emailed the following to the UK Iranian embassy. I expect I'll get a pro forma reply, but if anything interesting results, I'll let you know.

R


Good day,

I have followed, with interest, the news reports concerning the development of nuclear energy in your country. Obviously, as I am British, what I see in the news is unlikely to be without some bias. I am sure you would agree, as would your president, that the proliferation of nuclear weapons is undesirable; and, (as your president has made clear) the acquisition of weapons is not your intention. It is unfortunate that the technology you need for more efficient energy generation is the same that will also create more efficient weapons. Rhetoric aside, it is, then, understandable that many (especially Western) countries are nervous about Iran's aims.

But there is one question, above all, that puzzles me. Iran has, as I understand it, large reserves of oil. Of course, these are finite resources & will run out one day. An alternative source of energy is desirable (not just for Iran, of course, but for every nation!). But nuclear energy is enormously costly, both in the short term (developing & building the plants & technology), & in the long term (managing waste, decomissioning, security, etc).

Your country is surely in the fortunate position of being able to develop solar energy, in a way that few other nations can. I am curious to know what the the position of your nation is on renewable energy. Wouldn't the resources that Iran is prepared to devote to an energy source that is costly, dangerous, & globally controversial be better spent on developing alternative & 'clean ' power? I am interested to know what the opinion of your government is on these matters.

Thanking you for your kind attention