From broker to bystander: Europe's Iran problem

"The EU has absolutely no meaningful role at the moment. Full stop. The Europeans are irrelevant. Neither the US nor the Iranians look to Europe to be a serious and credible diplomatic mediator. Europe's loss of relevance cannot be explained by Trump alone. The bloc has for years deprioritised the Middle East, while both Washington and Teheran have increasingly stopped seeing Europeans as central players."

"The EU once saw itself as a key diplomatic actor on Iran. Since 2006, the EU High Representative coordinated talks between Washington and Teheran, a process that led to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, designed to limit Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. After the deal was signed, the EU remained its main coordinator and defender."

"A debate in the European Parliament made one thing clear: When it comes to Iran, Europe is struggling to turn concern into influence. Members of Parliament argued over how the EU should respond to the US-Israeli strikes against Iran, a sign of starkly exposed divisions across the bloc and within the EU's own institutions."

The European Union faces significant challenges in shaping responses to Middle Eastern crises, particularly regarding Iran. A European Parliament debate exposed deep divisions within the bloc over how to respond to US-Israeli strikes against Iran. EU officials and analysts acknowledge the bloc's diminished role in Iranian affairs. Once a key diplomatic broker coordinating the 2015 JCPOA nuclear agreement, Europe has lost relevance due to multiple factors: the US withdrawal from the agreement in 2018, Europe's deprioritization of Middle Eastern affairs, and reduced credibility with both Washington and Tehran. Neither the US nor Iran currently views Europe as a serious diplomatic mediator, leaving the EU as a bystander rather than an influential actor in regional conflicts.

Read at www.dw.com