Published at KhabarOnline, dated 2nd August 2025
An international relations expert believes: Implementing this mechanism "requires decision-making in the country's legal and traditional higher institutions, but the Foreign Ministry should not be placed under newly established and parallel committees. This ministry must be able to operate independently and with sufficient authority."KhabarOnline - Javad Morshedi: On Tuesday night, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told Al Arabiya that the deadline for a nuclear agreement with Iran is the end of summer, and no decision has been made to extend it. Ignoring the U.S. withdrawal from the JCPOA, the French Foreign Minister claimed that Iran has been violating its JCPOA commitments for the past 10 years and stated that if the agreement is not reached, sanctions will be imposed on Iran.Meanwhile, today, the head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission of the Islamic Consultative Assembly warned Europe about the consequences of activating the "trigger mechanism," stating: "The Islamic Republic of Iran, if this tool is used as leverage, will respond decisively and intelligently."KhabarOnline, in an interview with Sasan Karimi, an international relations expert, discussed the necessity of negotiating with Europe under the current circumstances and the priorities that should be raised in negotiations to prevent the activation of the trigger mechanism. Here is the conversation:Is negotiation essential for the Islamic Republic under the current circumstances?In my view, negotiation is something that should never stop and should not be reduced to a mere formality. The foundation of any country's foreign policy, especially in serious political systems, must be based on diplomacy and dialogue. Other tools, if necessary, should be used to support foreign policy based on the discretion of the country's diplomatic apparatus. Ultimately, it is the politicians who must decide, and other institutions should implement these decisions, not the other way around.Therefore, it should be assumed that over 90% of the country’s foreign relations are shaped under the supervision and discretion of foreign policy experts and the diplomatic institution. This is a normal and natural matter in international politics. In the current situation, where the country is somewhat in a state of suspension and anticipation, we need the independent, intelligent, and creative action of the diplomatic apparatus more than ever. Foreign policy can be effective when it operates with strength, is free from unnecessary higher councils, and has full authority; otherwise, success cannot be expected from it.What should be the priorities of the Islamic Republic in negotiations with Europe?Negotiations with Europe are important, but it must be noted that the main bottleneck lies with the other side. Europeans must stop trying to distance themselves from their current isolation and be ready to engage in dialogue with Iran from a position of equality, or even from a position of accountability and indebtedness regarding the JCPOA and nuclear issues.From Iran’s perspective, negotiations with Europe should not be treated as ceremonial or insignificant. Europe remains one of the world’s important poles, whether structurally through the European Union, economically, or in terms of its ability to set international norms. To create balance in our foreign policy (which currently suffers from a lack thereof), we must improve and strengthen our relations with Europe.Given Europe’s threats to activate the trigger mechanism, can negotiations prevent its activation?Preventing the activation of the "JCPOA Dispute Resolution Mechanism," mistakenly referred to as the trigger mechanism (its accurate name is Dispute Resolution Mechanism or DRM), requires more effort than the current situation. In my opinion, both Iran and the three European countries, if the current situation persists, will head down a misguided path.Implementing this mechanism, even if legally questionable, could have real and negative consequences, including the return of UN Security Council sanctions. At the same time, it would have serious consequences for Europe, as it would contradict their previous positions and commitments, further isolating them. By doing so, Europe would lose its credibility, and its positions would become irrelevant to Iran and others in the future.In fact, if Europe uses its last effective diplomatic tool merely to fulfill Israel’s wishes, it will also deprive itself of future tools.Recently, especially after the 12-day war, there have been criticisms of the Foreign Ministry and the government for expressing readiness to negotiate during wartime conditions. What is your opinion on this?In my view, criticizing the Foreign Ministry’s readiness to negotiate during wartime conditions is baseless. The inherent duty of the Foreign Ministry is dialogue and negotiation. Of course, initiating this process requires decision-making in the country’s legal and traditional higher institutions, but the Foreign Ministry should not be placed under ad hoc or parallel committees. It must be able to operate independently and with sufficient authority.The key point is that negotiation, even during wartime, is natural. No country conditions negotiation on the absence of war. We are militarily strong enough that we do not need to abandon negotiation to prove our power.Given the current situation and the U.S.’s bad faith in negotiations, is there a possibility of renewed Iran-U.S. negotiations in the future?The possibility of negotiations with the U.S. exists, but it is currently not high. More than the likelihood being low, the current format of negotiations is problematic. The indirect nuclear talks held for two hours a week with Mr. Witkoff are not only fruitless but may even have negative effects.We need serious negotiations conducted with full authority and from a position of strength. Just as in the military sphere, if we do not act with full authority and preparedness, our military tools become ineffective, in diplomacy too, without the necessary authority and preparedness, negotiations become an ineffective tool.
