EU Policy Shift On Iran Nuclear Issue

Iran nuclear issue, which is related to the safety of the internationalnon-proliferation regime and the peace and stability in the Middle East, involved inthe power game and the international relations, affecting the international oil pricesand energy strategy channel security, becomes a focus and a hot issue of internationalcommunity during these years.With the target of safeguarding their own strategic security, protecting theinterests of economy, trade and energy, increasing their influence in the Middle East,EU involved in the Iranian nuclear issue with a positive, active, moderate posturesince the year2003. EU advocated giving security commitments, financial assistanceand technical support to Iran through dialogue and cooperation, for Iran giving up itsnuclear program in exchange. As EU’s ‘Temptation for Abandonment’ policy failed,and the risk of ‘A Iran with Nuclear weapons’ kept growing, EU adjusted andchanged its policy on Iran nuclear issue, which is similar to US hardline stance. EUbegan to use the ‘two-track’ policy of economic sanctions and diplomatic negotiationsin parallel, forcing Iran to make substantive concessions on the nuclear issue with thestringent energy and financial sanctions against the Iranian economic lifeline.EU policy on Iran nuclear issue changed from mild to tough, will have a seriousimpact on the domestic economic development and social stability in Iran, willincrease the difficulty of a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue, as well asthe risk of conflict between US, Europe and Iran, and will also affect the change ofpolitical landscape in the Middle East and the regional situation in the further. Chinaplays an important role in the six-country mechanism of the Iranian nuclear issue,China also has major strategic interests in Iran, EU policy changes will be a newchallenge for China on how to maintain diplomatic influence and economic interestsin a better way.