• Research
  • Politika
  • About
Carnegie Russia Eurasia center logoCarnegie lettermark logo
  • Donate
The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir
Book

The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir

The first detailed Iranian account of the diplomatic struggle between Iran and the international community, begins in 2002 and takes the reader into Tehran’s deliberations as its leaders wrestle with internal and external adversaries.

Link Copied
By Seyed Hossein Mousavian
Published on May 3, 2012

Additional Links

Nook - $10.39Paperback - $19.95Hardback - $49.95Kindle - $15.99iTunes - $15.99

Source: Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2012

The first detailed Iranian account of the diplomatic struggle between Iran and the international community, The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir begins in 2002, when news about Iran’s clandestine uranium enrichment and plutonium production facilities emerged, and takes the reader into Tehran’s deliberations as its leaders wrestle with internal and external adversaries.

Seyed Hossein Mousavian, previously the head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and spokesman for Tehran’s nuclear negotiating team, provides readers with intimate knowledge of Iran’s interactions with the International Atomic Energy Agency and global powers.

Mousavian’s personal story comes alive as he vividly recounts his arrest in 2007 on charges of espionage. This and other dramatic episodes of diplomatic missions tell much about the author and the swirling dynamics of Iranian politics and diplomacy—undercurrents that must be understood now more than ever.

As intense debate continues over the direction of Iran’s nuclear program, Mousavian weighs the likely effects of military strikes, covert action, sanctions, and diplomatic engagement, along with their potential to resolve the nuclear crisis.

Advance Praise

“A fascinating, insightful, and new treatment from the perspective of an intimately involved former Iranian senior official on Iran’s nuclear program and responses to it. For those familiar with the details, there is much new information about the Iran side, its ideas, strategies, disputes, and aims. U.S. experts will have some key questions but will learn much from this extraordinary book.”

—Thomas R. Pickering, former U.S. under secretary of state

"…remarkable new book…"    

—David Ignatius, Washington Post

“…a fascinating insider’s account…”

—Philip Stephens, Financial Times

About the Author

Seyed Hossein Mousavian

Princeton University

Seyed Hossein Mousavian
Princeton University

Additional Links

Nook - $10.39Paperback - $19.95Hardback - $49.95Kindle - $15.99iTunes - $15.99
Middle EastIranPolitical ReformSecurityNuclear Policy

Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

More Work from Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Control Above Reform: What’s Behind Ukraine’s Government and Security Reshuffle?

    Ultimately, Zelensky sided neither with the reform camp nor with the military establishment as such, but with political control.

      Balázs Jarábik

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Where Are President Tokayev’s Political Reforms Leading Kazakhstan?

    Tokayev’s predecessor, Nursultan Nazarbayev, outlined arrangements for a power transition too soon and in too much detail, ultimately losing control over the process. Tokayev is determined not to meet the same fate.

      Temur Umarov

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    What Should We Take From Andrey Melnichenko’s Essay in the Economist?

    Andrey Melnichenko’s essay offers no answer to the fundamental question of how, under any kind of negotiated settlement, Europe can protect itself from the Russian ressentiment that is inevitable in all scenarios except for an outright victory for Putin.

      Leonid Bershidsky

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Parliamentary Elections in Occupied Ukraine Risk Backfiring for the Kremlin

    Despite unhappiness on the ground, Moscow is determined to use both carrot and stick to ensure there is record support for United Russia in occupied Ukraine.

      Konstantin Skorkin

  • Commentary
    Carnegie Politika
    Moldova’s Ruling Party PAS Must Graduate From Crisis Management to State Governance

    Whether PAS can refocus on the unfinished business of state-building may ultimately prove more consequential for Moldova’s European future than the pace of its accession negotiations.

      Balázs Jarábik

Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
Carnegie Russia Eurasia logo, white
  • Research
  • Politika
  • About
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • For Media
Get more news and analysis from
Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center
© 2026 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. All rights reserved.