This book investigates the European involvement in managing the nuclear dispute with Iran, shedding new light on EU foreign policy-making. The author focuses on the peculiar format through which the EU managed Iran’s nuclear issue: a ‘lead group’ consisting of France, Germany and the UK and the High Representative for EU foreign policy (E3/EU). The experience of the E3/EU lends credibility to the claim that lead groups give EU foreign policy direction and substance. The E3/EU set up a negotiating framework that worked as a de-escalating tool, a catalyst for Security Council unity and a forum for crisis management. They inflicted pain on Iran by adopting a comprehensive sanctions regime, but did so only having secured US commitment to a diplomatic solution. Once the deal was reached, they defended it vigorously. The E3/EU may have been supporting actors, but their achievements were real.

The first detailed Iranian account of the diplomatic struggle between Iran and the international community, The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir opens in 2002, as news of Iran's clandestine uranium enrichment and plutonium production facilities emerge. Seyed Hossein Mousavian, previously the head of the Foreign Relations Committee of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and spokesman for Tehran's nuclear negotiating team, brings the reader into Tehran's private deliberations as its leaders wrestle with internal and external adversaries. Mousavian provides readers with intimate knowledge of Iran's interactions with the International Atomic Energy Agency and global powers. His personal story comes alive as he vividly recounts his arrest and interrogations on charges of espionage. Dramatic episodes of diplomatic missions tell much about the author and the swirling dynamics of Iranian politics and diplomacy—undercurrents that must be understood now more than ever. As intense debate continues over the direction of Iran's nuclear program, Mousavian weighs the likely effects of military strikes, covert action, sanctions, and diplomatic engagement, considering their potential to resolve the nuclear crisis. Contents 1. The Origin and Development of Iran's Nuclear Program 2. The First Crisis 3. From Tehran to Paris 4. From the Paris Agreement to the 2005 Presidential Election 5. The Larijani Period 6. To the Security Council 7. Back to the Security Council and a New Domestic Situation 8. Iran Alone: The Jalili Period 9. U.S. Engagement 10. The Crisis Worsens 11. Conclusion

In Understanding and Explaining the Iranian Nuclear ‘Crisis’: Theoretical Approaches, Halit M.E. Tagma and Paul E. Lenze, Jr. analyze the ‘crisis’ surrounding Iran’s nuclear program through a variety of theoretical approaches, including realism, world-systems theory, liberal institutionalism, domestic politics, and multi-level games. Through these theories, Tagma and Lenze use established academic perspectives to create a more objective understanding and explanation of the debates and issues. Introducing the concept of eclectic pluralism to the study of international relations, Understanding and Explaining the Iranian Nuclear ‘Crisis’ presents theoretical approaches side by side to explore a complex and evolving international dispute.

A comprehensive but concise overview of Iran's politics, economy, military, foreign policy, and nuclear program. The volume chronicles U.S.-Iran relations under six American presidents and probes five options for dealing with Iran. Organized thematically, this book provides top-level briefings by 50 top experts on Iran (both Iranian and Western authors) and is a practical and accessible "go-to" resource for practitioners, policymakers, academics, and students, as well as a fascinating wealth of information for anyone interested in understanding Iran's pivotal role in world politics.

This book provides an assessment of relations between Iran and Europe, identifying the areas of common interest as well as the issues of conflict, whilst putting contemporary relations into their proper context with an account of their development since the early years of the twentieth century. Written by a former diplomat who served as the first Iranian ambassador to post-reunification Germany, this book shows that despite the recent deterioration of relations between Iran and the West, Iran has enjoyed a long history of cultural, economic and political ties with many European nations such as Germany. The book explores important historical episodes, including Iran’s support of Germany in the years before the First World War; the burgeoning economic, commercial and scientific co-operation in the interwar years such that by the start of the Second World War Germany was Iran’s leading trade partner; the impact of the Islamic Revolution in 1979; and the attempts by the administration of President Rafsanjani to strengthen ties with Europe in the aftermath of the Iran-Iraq War. Iran-Europe Relations goes on to examine in detail the recent issues of conflict between Iran and Europe: disputes over weapons of mass destruction; allegations of Iranian support for terrorist groups in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Iraq and Lebanon; disagreements over human rights; the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Middle East peace process. It concludes by suggesting ways in which Iran-Europe relations can be encouraged to develop positively, overcome current obstacles and nourish the opportunities and common interests that lie beneath the surface.

This book, written by a leading expert on Iran's foreign and nuclear affairs, provides a fresh and insightful perspective on Iran's nuclear program. Based on in-depth interviews with the key nuclear decision-makers in Iran, Europe, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the book is a welcome addition that sheds new light on the present international crisis over Iran's nuclear program. In a lucidly-written narrative intended for both general readers as well as academics and policy-makers, the book covers the history of Iran's nuclear program, the Iran-Europe negotiations, the IAEA reports and other similar reports, the media's coverage, and the prospects for a successful resolution of the nuclear standoff with Iran. Afrasiabi presents a compelling case for non-proliferation in Iran and the Middle East, drawing on his first-hand knowledge of the region. The book has been divided into 20 chapters and has an appendix that documents Iran's nuclear standpoint.

What does it mean for Iran to have nuclear weapon capabilities? And what should the United States do about this threatening situation?