The Dynamics of the European Union within the International System: European Policy toward the Iranian Nuclear Program

By analyzing European policy on the Iranian nuclear crisis and examining transatlantic relations on this issue, this paper explores the position of the European Union in the international system. The study highlights the role of leading states in the European foreign policy process and the recurrent distancing from the US policy of sanctions against Iran. Rather than conceiving of it as an instrument or an autonomous actor, we suggest that the European Union can be usefully seen as an arena where actions are transformed in order to understand how its specific dynamics shape international politics.