Brussels Briefing with Susanne Riegraf, Rouzbeh Parsi, and Cornelius Adebahr
Susanne Riegraf, who served as a Political Advisor and Iran Nuclear Team Leader in the EEAS until August of this year, provided a comprehensive analysis of the EU’s contribution to the nuclear deal. In her view, both the EU’s continued role as an honest broker and its unitary position and input regarding the deal’s substance increased the legitimacy of the diplomatic process in the course of the negotiations. In addition to this, the comprehensive sanctions regime provided the EU with political clout during the negotiations. Riegraf pointed out that by covering almost all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle, the agreement could “set new standards for a global non-proliferation regime.” She argued that the deal should therefore be seen as a vindication of the EU’s perspective on conflict resolution without the recourse to military means. She emphasized that the EU’s future role should be to provide continuity in the implementation process and to serve as a central anchor between the parties involved.
Rouzbeh Parsi, Senior Lecturer at Lund University and Director of the European Iran Research Group, expanded on the Iranian perspective. In his view, there were three important reasons that made the negotiations successful: the costly sanctions regime, the Obama administration’s decision to abandon zero-enrichment as an end goal for the talks, and the election of President Rouhani in Iran in June 2013. However, Parsi stressed that the pact will require long-lasting commitment from all parties involved; the deal could only become a success if “the dividends everyone stuck their head out for will pay off.” The only way to subdue the vocal opposition to the agreement pursued by President Rouhani is if the deal will contribute to economic growth in Iran. With regard to regional stability in the Gulf region and the potential of future cooperation with Iran, he said that even though all major parties are now at the table, this does not mean that the fundamental paradigm of Iran’s foreign policy will change.
Cornelius Adebahr, Associate Fellow of the DGAP’s Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies, added a transatlantic perspective to the discussion. He provided an insight into the domestic debate in Washington and pointed out that while the White House considered the agreement to be one of Obama’s foreign policy legacies, the Republicans in general as well as majorities in the U.S. Congress were in fierce opposition to it. According to Adebahr, the effectiveness of the West’s threatening to return to the sanctions regime could be crucial for the deal’s long-term success. He stressed that the EU will have to broaden its overall policy toward Iran, but should work with the United States in order to maintain the transatlantic unity that proved a winning formula over the past years. For instance, the EU and the US ought to discuss a joint approach toward potential violations on Iran’s part. In conclusion, he said that the Iran deal offered a considerable chance to serve as a benchmark in the EU’s fight for a global non-proliferation regime.
The DGAP’s Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies invited the panelists as part of its Brussels Briefing series. Almut Möller, its Head of Program, chaired the discussion.
