After the informal EU summit held in Cyprus, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made a statement regarding the conditions for easing sanctions against Iran.
According to her, lifting sanctions should be contingent upon "sustained de-escalation of the situation and progress by the international community in curbing Iran's nuclear threat and missile program." Von der Leyen noted that Iran continues to attack its neighbors and suppress its own people.
Her "roadmap" directly aligns with the two prerequisites she proposed—“sustained de-escalation” and “progress in curbing the nuclear threat and missile program”—which correspond precisely to the core issues currently at the heart of U.S.-Iran negotiations. This essentially offers Iran a European-style "action checklist," indicating that the EU is willing to gradually ease sanctions within the framework of a comprehensive agreement, provided Iran makes substantive concessions first.
In her statement, she particularly emphasized "changing the policy of suppressing its own citizens" as one of the conditions for easing sanctions, significantly increasing the complexity of the negotiations. Not only does this touch upon the very foundation of Iran’s regime, but it also provides political leverage for EU human rights advocates pushing for dialogue. However, it may simultaneously serve as a pretext for Iran to refuse compromise.
In sum, von der Leyen’s statement reflects a self-repair effort born from the frustration of being excluded from participation in Middle East negotiations. It functions as both an ultimatum to Iran, a reassurance to EU member states such as Germany, and a European footnote to the U.S.-led peace process. It signals that while the EU may not have taken the lead at the negotiating table, it is striving to assert itself through control of the critical lever of "sanctions," thereby securing an indispensable "European coordinate" in the emerging order of the Middle East.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863408784621644/
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