Agreement and uncertainty: The Iran nuclear deal in a new global order
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.
Iran
Shared interests: Why both China and the West support the Iran nuclear deal
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.
New momentum? The US, Iran, and the fate of the JCPOA
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.
Nuclear talks under Raisi: Iran’s diplomats are going slow to appear smart
Western observers are despairing at the lack of progress on Iran nuclear talks. But the Raisi administration and the Iranian people both want sanctions relief to help the economy – meaning there is still cause for optimism.
High stakes: How sanctions relief could impact EU-Iran trade
The new Iranian administration may agree on a revised JCPOA with the US. But if the economic benefits are paltry, political support will drain away.
Four steps to support Europe-Iran trade under a revived JCPOA
Even if the JCPOA is restored, European companies will hesitate to trade in Iran. European and American officials should work together to give companies the comfort they need.
A familiar victory: Iran’s divides under a new president
Raisi’s election victory will not make Iranian politics any less volatile. Instead, it signals another of the cyclical changes in Iran’s politics that have taken place since 1979.
Council of despair: Iran’s uncompetitive presidential election
Iran’s presidential election will do little to boost frontrunner Ebrahim Raisi’s popular legitimacy
Mediation nation: Iraq’s new role in Iranian-Saudi talks
Europe should support the recent Iranian-Saudi talks in Baghdad as an opportunity to help stabilise the Middle East, despite risk of that engagement being derailed
Why Biden should not treat humanitarian trade as a concession to Iran
The Biden administration has boxed itself into a maximalist position that jeopardises efforts to make the Iran sanctions programme more humane. European governments should be pushed to change course.