Europe took only tiny steps in complying with Iran deal: Commentator

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News ID: 46947
Iran » Iran
Publish Date: 14:35 - 15 July 2020
Wednesday, 15 July 2020_International human rights lawyer Edward Corrigan says the European parties to the Iran nuclear deal have taken only tiny steps in fulfilling their commitments.

Europe took only tiny steps in complying with Iran deal: CommentatorInternational human rights lawyer Edward Corrigan says the European parties to the Iran nuclear deal have taken only tiny steps in fulfilling their commitments.

The rift between Europe and the United States over Iran is deepening. Two years of U.S. maximum pressure on Tehran have not yielded the results Washington had hoped for, while the Europeans have failed to put up enough resistance for their transatlantic partner to change course. Worse, the U.S. policy threatens to destabilize the broader Persian Gulf, with direct consequences for Europe.

To get ahead of the curve and regain leverage, the European Union (EU), its member states, and the United Kingdom have to look beyond their relations with the Islamic Republic and address wider regional security challenges. The United States’ incipient retreat as a security guarantor and Russia’s increased interest in the region make it necessary for Europe to engage beyond its borders.

Despite being barely alive, the 2015 international nuclear deal with Iran offers a good starting point. The Europeans should regionalize some of the agreement’s basic provisions to include the nuclear newcomers on the Arab side of the Gulf. Doing so would advance a nonproliferation agenda that is aimed not at a single country but at the region’s broader interests.

Similarly, the Europeans should engage Iran, Iraq, and the six Arab nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council in talks about regional security. Rather than suggesting an all-encompassing security framework, for which the time is not yet ripe, they should pursue a step-by-step approach aimed at codifying internationally recognized principles at the regional level.

 
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