Dealing with Iran

How can the EU achieve its strategic objectives?

Iran's nuclear program has become an issue of international concern. The EU has spearheaded efforts to obtain a solution to the deadlock between Tehran and the international community. However, the EU's approach has not been fully successful in achieving its goal and has contributed to straining EU-Iran relations.

The EU has yet to develop a unified, independent and long-term strategy vis-à-vis Iran that would enable it to maintain a constructive relationship with Tehran and achieve its strategic objectives without compromising its core values. The four strategies available to the EU are:

use of force/military action
containment and deterrence
engagement
non-entanglement.

The EU's short–term tactics represent a mixture of containment and engagement, but Sirin Pakfar in the present DIIS Report argues that, the two approaches cancel each other out. To increase its leverage on Iran on the nuclear issue and beyond, the EU must adopt a realpolitik strategy of détente, building confidence with the regime in Tehran and obtaining policy progress through non-controversial mutual areas of interest. The EU High Representative should also take a more active role in leading the EU's efforts.

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