Alexane Said MASTER'S THESIS Iran and the United States' Relations in the Context of the Nuclear Deal Abstract _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ This study analyses the evolution of relations between Iran and the United States by applying the theories of realism, liberalism and the theoretical concept of strategic culture on their contest for power, control and sovereignty. From strategic partners to strategic enemies and back to pragmatic tolerance, both countries have maintained a troublesome relationship which entered a new era of cooperation with the implementation of the Nuclear Deal in January 2016. This deal is a geopolitical breakthrough that should improve the relations between the two countries as it is in both their strategic interests to collaborate. With sanctions removal and by choosing the diplomatic route, Iran can get access to a larger trade and investors' market which could help its economy tremendously and could be seen as an important international actor. Moreover, since the deal allows for the supervision and investigation of Iran's uranium facilities, this allows for greater transparency, profitable for the US and the international community. After the Nuclear Deal implementation, American and Iranian actions on the...

[pt] A pesquisa tem por foco a análise da atuação da Agência Internacional de Energia Atômica (AIEA) no que se refere ao programa nuclear iraniano. Para tal, utilizamos a teorização de Edward Said em O orientalismo (1978), como modo de argumentarmos a existência de representações de alteridade sobre o Irã, que constroem este Estado como uma ameaça à estabilidade e à paz internacionais. Selecionamos para este trabalho os discursos de Estados Unidos, Israel e Arábia Saudita, por considerarmos estes os Estados mais interessados em manter o Irã afastado da tecnologia nuclear. Estes Estados constroem discursivamente representações de alteridade e risco sobre o Irã, como forma de argumentar que os demais Estados e a AIEA devem se mobilizar para evitar que o Estado xiita adquira a tecnologia nuclear. Nossa pesquisa tem como foco a análise do tratamento do contencioso iraniano na AIEA, de modo a identificarmos se os discursos de alteridade relativos ao Irã alteram o comportamento da agência. Para tal, testaremos se o secretariado da AIEA cumpre as normas estabelecidas no regime internacional de não-proliferação nuclear, mantendo-se na esfera técnica, ou se os discursos de alteridade construídos pelos Estados selecionados modificam seu comportamento, tornando suas decisões mais rígidas com relação ao Irã. / [en] This dissertation analyses the role played by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in the Iranian nuclear program. As theoretical grounds, we shall employ Edward Said`s framework presented in Orientalism (1978) so as to debate the existence of alterity representations regarding Iran which depict this state as a menace to international peace and stability. For this research, we have selected speeches by the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia, for we consider these the states most interested in keeping Iran away from nuclear technology. Through discourse, these states build representations of alterity and threat concerning Iran, as a means to argue that all other states along with the IAEA must mobilize so as to prevent the Shiite state from acquiring nuclear technology. This research shall assess how Iran`s litigious was dealt with by the IAEA with a view to identifying if the alterity discourses regarding Iran have altered the agency`s behavior. Thus, we shall investigate if the IAEA secretariat abides by the norms established by the nuclear non-proliferation international regime, limiting itself to the technical sphere, or if the alterity discourses built by the selected states modify its behavior, rendering its decisions towards Iran more stringent.

The thesis "Nuclear Iran Oversecuritized? The Politics of Benjamin Netanyahu's Speeches" is concerned with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speeches held in front of the UN, American Congress, Jewish lobby in the US AIPAC and foreign audience by several special occasions. It is based on the assumption that language is not only a neutral communication tool, but also a political tool serving the aim of achieving political goals. The aim of the thesis is to identify the linguistic tools of categorization, legitimization and securitization which Netanyahu used in order to persuade the international audience about the imminence and existential character of the threat posed by Iranian nuclear programme, and finally to achieve its elimination or at least tough punishment for Iranian non-compliance. Moreover, the thesis provides the reader with the overall context, namely the effect of Netanyahu's speeches, the nature of Iranian nuclear programme and its consequences for the situation in the Middle East.