reflections on Iran and the EU comprehensive approach

First: Can the EU be a force for good in international relations? Those who observe the  possible endgame in the Iran nuclear negotiations would say yes although the notion of " a force for good" perhaps gives the wrong image of the  EU  role.  This is not hard power on the part of the EU, it is soft power helping to open doors rather than to close them.

This is therefore also a good example of how the potential influence of the EU  on security often is systematically underestimated. 

Second:  The Iran case illustrates the need for a comprehensive approach. The nuclear negotiations form part of a functional approach to security,  horizontal WMD proliferation  which is discussed  in the thematic heading in this website and in my forthcoming book on the  EU and security. 

At the same time it is an important part of the discourse on the role of Iran  in the regional geographic context, including Israel –Palestine and the conflict  in the wider Middle East as discussed in the geographic chapter of this website and in the book.

Essentially, the notion that the devil is in the detail needs to be complemented with the fundamental notion that progress on security requires strategic overview as discussed in the strategy chapter of the website and the book.