This Policy Dialogue discussed the incoming Biden administration’s strategy towards Iran and the challenges and opportunities for transatlantic cooperation.
The discussion focused on the future of the Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) and examined its consequences for the regional security situation. The speakers agreed that the Biden administration values the deal and the real challenge to achieve compliance for compliance will be sequencing. Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, highlighted that once the US returns to the JCPOA, additional agreements can be negotiated to address multiple issues such as the ballistic missiles programme. Michael Singh, Lane-Swig Senior Fellow and Managing Director of The Washington Institute, mentioned the domestic considerations in the United States and the importance of bipartisan support for a sustainable agreement. Furthermore, he emphasized the necessity to include Israel and the Gulf states in the negotiation process.
Ernest Urtasun, Member of the European Parliament, summarized the EU’s role and the lessons learnt during the Trump administration. The EU has to be more assertive and use its toolbox to facilitate trust between Iran and the West. Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Senior Research Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute), noted that the EU should take credit for keeping a united position and preserving the deal. She presented her views on the prospects for EU-US cooperation stressing the need to invest more in the EU’s strategic autonomy. The panellists were in agreement that the evolution of the domestic narrative in Iran and the Biden administration’s broader policy towards the Middle East will have to be carefully observed in the future. The event was moderated by Mihai Sebastian Chihaia, EPC Policy Analyst.