Could Germany and the EU have had a better policy towards the mullahs' regime? CDU foreign expert Röttgen criticizes IPPEN.MEDIA harshly.
Germany and the EU have been negotiating for a long time; Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) also cited “feminist foreign policy” – but Iran remains a massive threat factor in the Middle East. Most recently in the form of the attack on Israel. CDU foreign expert Norbert Röttgen makes a harsh judgment: Baerbock's course has failed, he confirmed to
IPPEN.MEDIA
on Monday (April 15th) ; EU policy is also “a complete catastrophe”.
“The federal government must completely reorganize its Iran policy,” demanded Röttgen. The former candidate for the CDU chairmanship also admitted: Mistakes, especially with regard to the handling of the Iranian nuclear program, have a “long tradition” in Germany - even under the CDU-led federal governments of the Angela Merkel era.
Baerbock's "feminist foreign policy" is going nowhere in Iran - Röttgen warns of the regime's nuclear bomb
The traffic light coalition should have changed course as early as September 2022, “when the regime had Jina Mahsa Amini beaten to death because of an allegedly incorrectly fitting headscarf,” explained Röttgen. At that time, violent protests by civil society shook Iran. The federal government continues to hope for a new nuclear agreement, complained the CDU politician - "but the regime is on the verge of being able to credibly threaten with a nuclear weapon and is now just playing for time." Security expert Ulrich Schlie also explained the alleged status of Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon to
IPPEN.MEDIA
on Monday .
Look, the West continues to rely on us and not on your protests.
Germany is giving the regime in Iran fodder for its propaganda, complains Norbert Röttgen.
Germany must now recognize this reality, demanded Röttgen. "My assessment is that our best hope for a nuclear-free Iran lies in the success of Iranians fighting for a free Iran without the mullahs' regime," he added. It is clear to the protesters that they have to cope with this task themselves. But the EU can make life “as difficult as possible” for the regime. “This includes tough sanctions and the terrorist listing of the Revolutionary Guards in the EU.”
It is precisely with this type of solidarity - expressly promised - that Baerbock failed, and there is no sign of a change in policy. “If there is a clear use case for feminist foreign policy, it is Iran,” said Röttgen. But: “The European sanctions were the absolute minimum of what had to be done.” At the same time, Germany, Great Britain and France continued to negotiate with Iran in the “E3 format”: “These meetings give the regime international legitimacy. The message to our own people is: Look, the West continues to rely on us and not on your protests.”
Iran policy worries Röttgen: EU “a complete catastrophe” – Merkel also continued “tradition”.
The problem also affects the EU. “Unfortunately, one has to say that the EU’s Iran policy, embodied by Josep Borrell, is a complete catastrophe,” complained Röttgen to
IPPEN.MEDIA
. Nevertheless, even if a “new beginning” could be possible after the approaching European elections, Europe’s options in the Middle East are limited. It hasn't been taken care of for a long time - and there is a lack of military capabilities. The EU must therefore concentrate on what is possible: “These are extensive sanctions that will isolate the mullahs’ regime internationally and drain it economically.”
The CDU politician also expressed criticism of the course of the Merkel years. A “one-dimensional focus” on Iran’s nuclear program “unfortunately has a very long tradition in Germany”: “Previous Union-led federal governments also kept it that way,” admitted Röttgen.
The Federal Republic’s Iran policy “a big mistake”: “We are seeing the consequences today”
“The regime’s systematic destabilization of the entire region was ignored in favor of the nuclear negotiations. That was a big mistake and we are seeing the consequences today,” he explained. In his opinion, the “Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action” (JPCoA) from 2015 was “the least bad solution,” added Röttgen. “Although the regime adhered to the agreement, it also freed up enormous resources for the mullahs, ensuring their political survival.”
Donald Trump ultimately destroyed the action plan. However, a better reaction to this development would have been possible, says Röttgen: “When the regime itself began to break the agreements in order to become capable of nuclear weapons, German politics should have reacted and rethought.” The JPCoA should have found a solution for this at the negotiating table conflict over Iran's nuclear program. The Atomic Energy Authority IAEA had certified successes by mid-2019. In 2018, however, the USA under Trump withdrew from the agreement. (
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