Coalition-Building Against Iran

Coalition-Building Against Iran

March 12, 2019
Coalition-Building Against Iran
Overview and Analysis
the meeting. UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt attended
As part of its efforts to maximize pressure on Iran, the
briefly, and only on condition that he could chair a session
Trump Administration is urging a wide variety of
on the conflict in Yemen. Russia not only declined to
international actors to adopt Iran policies similar and
attend, but also organized a seemingly rival, simultaneous
complementary to those of the United States. The
meeting in Sochi, Russia, with Turkey and Iran (which was
Administration arguably is attempting to isolate Iran
not invited to the Warsaw meeting) to discuss the situation
politically and diplomatically by fashioning a multilateral
in Syria, where Russia and Iran have both supported the
“coalition of the willing” consisting of U.S. allies and
regime of President Bashar al-Asad against an armed
partners in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. It is
rebellion that began in 2011. China also did not attend the
implementing its strategy in international issue-focused
Warsaw meeting. Arab partners of the United States sent
meetings, special U.S.-organized and long established
their foreign ministers to the conference, and they met there
multilateral forums such as the United Nations, and
with Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who
bilateral discussions. One particular, although not
strongly supports Trump Administration Iran policy. These
exclusive, goal is to persuade the other JCPOA parties to
interactions were notable given that most Arab states have
follow the Trump Administration’s May 2018 step of
long publicly shunned Israeli leaders.
abrogating the multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran
(Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, JCPOA), and
Rather than solidify a U.S.-EU coalition against Iran, the
reimpose economic sanctions.
Warsaw meeting exposed significant differences on that
issue among the historic allies. In specific comments quoted
However, the U.S. effort to fashion a broad coalition to
below, Vice President Mike Pence called on the EU
isolate Iran appears to be faltering. Major U.S. partners in
countries to abrogate the JCPOA outright and accused them
Europe, in particular, have expressed resistance to joining
of undermining U.S. sanctions by setting up new
the U.S.-led pressure strategy. They argue that the
mechanisms to facilitate trade with Iran.
JCPOA—to which Iran and the non-U.S. parties (UK,
France, Germany, EU, Russia, and China)—still adhere,
continues to serve its nonproliferation objectives. Countries
Excerpts from Speech by Vice President Mike Pence at the
in Asia, which depend partly on Iran’s energy resources,
Warsaw Ministerial Working Luncheon. Warsaw Poland,
have sought to maintain their relations with the United
February 14, 2019:
States while at the same time pressing the United States not
“The time has come for our European partners to withdraw from
to impose sanctions on their transactions with Iran. On the
the Iran nuclear deal and join with us as we bring the economic
other hand, U.S. partners in the Middle East, which also
and diplomatic pressure necessary to give the Iranian people, the
seek to limit Iran’s strategic influence in the region, back
region, and the world the peace, security, and freedom they
the Administration’s Iran policy.
deserve.”
The February 2019 Warsaw Ministerial
“Just two weeks ago, Germany. France, and the United Kingdom
announced the creation of a special financing mechanism designed
As part of an escalation of its efforts to isolate and pressure
to oversee a mirror-image transaction that would replace
Iran, the Administration announced in January 2019 that it
sanctionable international payments between EU businesses and
and the Polish government would host a ministerial meeting
Iran. They call this scheme a “Special Purpose Vehicle.” We call it
in Warsaw on February 13-14, 2019. Secretary of State
an effort to break American sanctions against Iran’s murderous
Michael Pompeo announced while visiting Cairo that the
revolutionary regime. It’s an ill-advised step that will only strengthen
meeting would “…focus on Middle East stability and peace
Iran, weaken the EU, and create still more distance between
and freedom and security here in this region, and that
Europe and the United States.”
includes an important element of making sure that Iran is
not a destabilizing influence.” The European official

response to the meeting announcement was tepid in light of
the EU’s repeatedly stated commitment to preserving the
The JCPOA and Proliferation
JCPOA, and Administration officials subsequently
refocused the ministerial on a broader discussion of the
The Administration also has tried to build global support
for its Iran policy within established international fora. At
various regional conflicts and issues in an attempt to
encourage wide high-level participation.
the March 5, 2019, meeting of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors, the United
States sought to directly challenge the main EU rationale
Although 62 countries attended the “Ministerial to Promote
a Future of Peace and Security in the Middle East,”
for remaining in the JCPOA—the IAEA’s assertion that
Germany and France sent only mid-ranking diplomats to
Iran is fully complying. The U.S. representative to the
IAEA, Jackie Wolcott, highlighted Israel’s capture of
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Coalition-Building Against Iran
Iranian files about Iran’s past research into a nuclear
Immediately after the contentious meeting, the EU imposed
weapon in a 2018 intelligence operation.
its first sanctions on Iran since the JCPOA. The EU added
two Iranian intelligence operatives (diplomat Assadollah
The IAEA had “closed” the issue of Iran’s past nuclear
Asadi and Iranian national Hashemi Moghadam) and one
weapons research just prior to the implementation of
entity (the Directorate for Internal Security of the Iranian
JCPOA sanctions relief in January 2016. Ambassador
Ministry for Intelligence and Security) to its list of terrorist-
Wolcott stated that “Iran’s retention of the archive not only
related persons and entities barred from travel to EU
underscores the key weakness of the temporary restrictions
countries and subject to the freezing of their EU-based
of the JCPOA, but strikes at the heart of longstanding
assets. On March 4, 2019 the Netherlands recalled its
concerns that Iran continues to keep its nuclear options
ambassador from Tehran amid mutual recriminations over
open.” Yet, the United States has not accused Iran of non-
Iran’s alleged involvement in the murders of two Iranian
compliance with its JCPOA commitments: Ambassador
dissidents on Dutch soil in 2015 and 2017. The EU
Wolcott did acknowledge the IAEA’s continued access to
terrorism-related sanctions appeared intended, at least in
and inspections of “all sites in locations in Iran that its
part, to signal EU solidarity with the United States on issues
inspectors need to visit.”
in which there is clear evidence of Iranian action outside of
international norms.
Excerpts from August 6, 2018 Joint Statement by the EU High
U.S. officials also have sought to use Iran’s human rights
Representative and the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany,
record, which is widely assessed as abysmal, to build
and the United Kingdom:
multilateral support for U.S. strategy on Iran. In February

2019, citing Iran’s execution of a gay man, U.S.
“The JCPOA is working and delivering on its goal, namely to ensure
Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell led a multilateral
that the Iranian programme remains exclusively peaceful, as
meeting in Berlin to formulate a joint plan to escalate
confirmed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 11
efforts to end the criminalization of homosexuality
consecutive reports.”
worldwide. Ending that criminalization enjoys broad
support in Europe, and the meeting was widely viewed an
“We are determined to protect European economic operators
attempt to join the United States and Europe in challenging
engaged in legitimate business with Iran, in accordance with EU law
an additional aspect of Iran’s objectionable behavior.
and with U.N. Security Council resolution 2231.”
“Preserving the nuclear deal with Iran is a matter of respecting
Middle East Strategic Alliance
international agreements and a matter of international security.”
A key component of the Trump Administration strategy has
been to unify U.S. partners in the Middle East region
against Iran. There are a number of facets to the U.S.
Missiles, Human Rights and Terrorism
regional strategy that are discussed in detail in several CRS
The United States also has sought to build support within
Reports for Congress. One significant initiative, announced
the U.N. Security Council to reinstate some sanctions on
in late 2018, is the forging of a “Middle East Strategic
Iran—sanctions that were lifted by Resolution 2231 (July
Alliance” (MESA), which would join the United States
2015) that endorsed and enshrined the JCPOA in
with the Gulf Cooperation Council states (GCC: Saudi
international law. On December 1, 2018, Secretary of State
Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and
Pompeo called an Iranian test of a medium-range ballistic
Oman) and Egypt and Jordan, two other Sunni Muslim-
missile a “violation” of Resolution 2231, which calls on
majority partners. Some called the plan an “Arab NATO”
Iran not to develop ballistic missiles designed to carry a
that could enable the United States to rely more on regional
nuclear payload. U.S. officials have asked the Security
states to counter Iran.
Council to review that and some prior Iranian missile tests
for potential Security Council action, and have referenced
The effort to establish the MESA has stalled. Although its
the launches to disagree with the European assertion of full
prospective members generally agree on the need to counter
Iranian compliance with all JCPOA-related commitments.
Iran’s regional influence, some GCC states advocate regular
No specific action by either the Council or the EU against
engagement with Tehran. Prospects for forming an alliance
Iran’s missile program has been taken to date.
have foundered primarily over a lingering dispute between
Qatar and Saudi Arabia/UAE over Qatar’s insistence on
However, while not related directly to the JCPOA, signs
pursuing a relatively independent foreign policy, which
suggest that the Administration has been able to encourage
includes support for regional organizations linked to the
European solidarity with the United States on some Iran-
Muslim Brotherhood.
related issues. In early January 2019, the British, French,
German, Danish, Dutch, and Belgian envoys told Iranian
Kenneth Katzman, Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs
Foreign Ministry officials that Europe could no longer
tolerate Iran’s ballistic missile tests or Iranian assassination
IF11132
plots against anti-regime activists on European soil.

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Coalition-Building Against Iran

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