If states are to be taken seriously, there should be a reasonable balance between their declared policies and their concrete actions. That is the core problem in the dispute between Iran and the West.

Iran pleads the peaceful intentions of its nuclear programme. But for years, the theocratic oligarchy in Teheran has been exposed in a game of cat and mouse with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the result of which is a conclusion that Iran has military ambitions.

If Iran wants the outside world to believe in its peaceful intentions, it should stop toying with the IAEA, stop supporting destructive forces in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon, stop provoking Saudi Arabia and stop giving Israel good grounds to feel its existence threatened.

That is why the EU – with Denmark as its current president – is intensifying its sanctions against Iran in order to thwart its nuclear project. The fear is that the confrontational consequences of an Iranian bomb would spread throughout the region. All those who desire détente and negotiated settlements, both worldwide and in the region, must help to apply the brakes to Iran’s nuclear project.

At the same time, the European Union must begin to deliberate the likelihood that Iran, irrespective of outside pressures, will procure the critical technology to enable it to decide itself whether it wants to produce nuclear weapons. This is a contingency that the European Union must not be blind to, however much the thought is anathema to us.

As a result, concurrently with its intensified sanctions, the European Union must clearly signal that it will respect Iran as a peaceful key power in the Middle East, and that sanctions are not targeted at Iran’s legitimate interests, but solely at surreptitious endeavours to become a nuclear power. Despite sanctions, the EU should make it clear that Europe would prefer to cooperate with Iran rather than marginalise the country.

In reality, Iran’s neighbour Pakistan – which the West cooperates with – is far less stable than Iran. Similarly, several of Iran’s Arab neighbours – who are very close partners with the West – are no greater advocates of human rights than Iran.

Both Iran and the European Union should consider finding a reasonable balance between interests and concrete policies. Both have a major interest in cooperating. This requires, however, Iran to shelve its confrontational style and replace its nuclear parody with open windows. It also requires the European Union to accompany its new oil embargo with concrete ideas for cooperation.

Such a strategy carries much better potential for Iran. And for us.

aj

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