This open letter has been signed by members of the European Leadership Network, board members of the International Crisis Group, and council members of the European Council on Foreign Relations
Tehran and Washington are close to a deal – but both sides need to give and take to achieve the wider benefits of a renewed Joint Comprehensive plan of Action (JCPOA)
In an unstable world, Western policymakers need a new approach to Iran. They should think beyond non-proliferation to account for the country’s attempts at strategic balancing.
China’s economic support for Iran in recent years encouraged Tehran to come back to the negotiating table. Instability in the Middle East is as little in Beijing’s interests as it is in the West’s.
The United States and Iran may finally be converging on a shared commitment to a new nuclear deal. This agreement would not be perfect, but the alternatives are far worse.
How can Europeans more effectively advance their human rights agenda as part of, and while maintaining, their broader relationships with regional states?
European states face accusations of neglecting the matter of human rights in their southern neighbourhood, and even of being complicit. Yet they are failing to maximise the influence they could bring to bear.
It would be a mistake for the parties to the Iran nuclear deal to see the issue of guarantees in terms of economic targets. Instead, they should focus on how to normalise their economic relationship in the long term.
Iran was more economically dependent on Afghanistan than many people realise. The change of regime will impact on Tehran in four main ways.
ECFR’s policy experts examine what the Taliban takeover means for countries and regions around the world: Europe, the US, the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Sahel