Resolved: The US would be justified in taking military action against Iran.

Whether or not the United States would be justified in pursuing military options against Iran is a contentious debate. To determine justification in this case, two questions must be considered. Does the United States need to engage in any form of action? Are military options better than all other alternatives? I urge a pro ballot due to the fact that the answer to both these questions is yes. Initially, action is needed. It is inevitable and unavoidable that Iran will attempt to construct nuclear warheads. According to the International Atomic Energy Association or IAEA, since 2003 Iran has been in direct violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty which they signed. Additionally, the IAEA reports they tested the current nuclear material enrichment facilities in Iran and have determined the facilities retain the ability to enrich materials for not only nuclear power but also for bombs. The IAEA reported that these facilities posses the ability enrich enough uranium to build five bombs a year and the ability to enrich enough plutonium to construct three bombs a year. It is clear Iran will soon attempt to construct an atom bomb. A nuclear Iran would be detrimental to the global community. According to GlobalSecurity.org, "If Iran did acquire atomic bombs; it would put pressure on other countries in the region to do the same". As a matter of fact they go on to state "This could result in a regional arms race in the Middle East." Any since of safety that still exists in the Middle East would disappear due to constant fear of nuclear attack. The nation that understands this statement best is Israel. An Israeli official was quoted stating, "It's a huge concern. Iran is a regime that denies Israel's right to exist in any borders and is a principal sponsor of Hezbollah. If that regime were able to achieve a nuclear potential it would be extremely dangerous." Additionally, on 7 June, 2007 Time magazine published an article providing evidence that Iran would give atomic bombs to militant groups such as Hezbollah in a heart beat. If a nuclear Iran is not an immediate threat to the US, it is a threat to our allies in and around the Middle East and eventually Iran will threaten America. Therefore immediate action is needed. Secondly, no alternatives exceed military options. I have already established taking no action is not an option. Additionally, if the US takes no action there is a chance Iran will start a nuclear war in the future which would cost more lives and money than if we took military action now. Another alternative would be trade sanctions. These would not work. The US does not influence the Iranian economy enough to even be mention in the Iranian CIA World Factbook article. Individually the United States cannot achieve any goal using sanctions against Iran. The only hope for a successful sanction against Iran would be to pass a resolution in the UN Security Council. Any efforts to this effect will fail. China and Russia have already used their veto power on several occasions to prevent similar resolutions from being passed. Therefore there is no chance of a successful sanction against Iran. The United States could attempt diplomatic negotiation. Unfortunately diplomacy will also fail. The government of Iran denies ever having nuclear ambitions. In order for diplomacy to succeed each party must have a bargaining chip and a desired return. The desired return for the US and the bargaining chip for Iran is the elimination of any possibility for a nuclear Iran. Iran will not admit to attempting to attain nuclear weapons and therefore cannot guarantee they will rid themselves of their nuclear ambitions because they claim they do not have them. The final feasible option is exploring military options. Something as simple as an air strike could ensure Iran does not become nuclear. In addition, if due to some change in events when diplomacy or sanction succeeded, we would have no way of knowing that Iran dismantled their nuclear facilities. They may lie about dismantling their facilities as they have lied about their nuclear ambitions. A military strike is the only way the United States can ensure the goal is accomplished. Clearly a military strike is the superior option. In summation, my partner and I urge a pro ballot on the resolution concerning whether or not the United States would be justified in pursuing military options against Iran based on our two contentions: Action needs to be taken against Iran and military options surpass the alternatives.