John Bradshaw and Julie Smith on Credibility with European Allies
Damaging our credibility with our European allies
By Julianne Smith, NSN Board of Directors Member, and John Bradshaw, NSN
Executive Director
August 31, 2015 | The Hill
Hardline conservatives in the U.S. congress who are eager to repudiate the nuclear agreement reached with Iran act as if the deal is just between the U.S. and Iran. The indispensable role of our close European allies hardly gets a mention. This short-sighted approach risks undercutting alliances and partnerships that have been the bedrock of American security for decades, and fails to appreciate the role European partners played in creating the international sanctions regime that brought Iran to the negotiating table. Six countries – not just the United States – negotiated the July 14th Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, and after years of intense negotiations, they have all concluded that this deal is the best and only way to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions. A rejection of that deal will erode U.S. credibility and raise questions about our reliability as an international partner.
Without the cooperation of our European allies both in implementing the sanctions regime and negotiating the deal, it isn’t clear if we would have reached this historic agreement. Our European partners, notably the French, acted in accordance with their long-standing commitment to non-proliferation in the Middle East, backing a strong sanctions regime against Iran, even though they were much more affected by the sanctions than the U.S. The sanctions, especially those tied to the oil and banking sectors, have been especially onerous for European members of the P5+1, who are more integrated economically with Iran. Bloomberg estimates that trade between Europe and Iran has plummeted to about $9 billion from almost $32 billion in 2005 when sanctions were first tightened. Europe’s willingness to abide by the sanctions regime for years on end during a period of economic hardship demonstrated their commitment to the process, and, with the participation of China and Russia, had a profound impact on Iran’s economy, driving the Iranians to see the talks through to their conclusion.
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