شهیره نوذری

This research seeks to address whether the European Union (EU) has successfully maintained its strategic autonomy in managing key global issues and crises, a critical element in its decision-making process and a fundamental aspect of the institution itself. The study's conceptual framework centers on the notion of the EU's strategic autonomy, which is analyzed through three case studies: Iran's nuclear issue, the war in Ukraine, and the Gaza crisis. The hypothesis posits that the EU's responses to Iran's nuclear program and the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza reveal a deficiency in its strategic autonomy. Iran's nuclear issue, after two decades of extensive negotiations and agreements that ultimately failed, represents a key instance where the EU's inability to assert strategic autonomy is most evident. Moreover, the EU's handling of the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, marked by inconsistencies in its application of soft power and moral-value-based leadership, has further cast doubt on the Union's strategic autonomy. The research findings, derived from these case studies, suggest that without political coherence and a unified diplomatic and political strategy—critical elements of strategic autonomy—the EU will continue to be perceived as a dependent and subordinate actor. This condition is commonly referred to in the academic literature as a "strategic autonomy deficit" or a "political and military sovereignty deficit." The methodology of this research is descriptive and analytical, utilizing data collected from a range of sources, including books, peer-reviewed journal articles, online databases, and authoritative expert opinions.

This article examines the European Union's (EU) strategies toward the Islamic Republic of Iran from the 1979 Islamic Revolution to the present, offering a comprehensive longitudinal analysis of EU-Iran relations through a constructivist lens. The relationship between the EU and Iran has traversed a landscape marked by ideological divergence, geopolitical tensions, and shifts in diplomatic approaches, providing an essential case study for understanding the role of ideas, norms, and identities in international relations. While previous scholarship has largely addressed isolated aspects of EU-Iran relations-such as critical and comprehensive dialogue frameworks, nuclear negotiations, and regional strategy-this study seeks to provide a cohesive overview of the EU's evolving policy by situating these engagements within the broader context of the EU's normative commitments and strategic interests. Employing constructivism as the theoretical foundation, this research argues that the EU's strategies have been shaped not solely by material interests but by the EU' self-perception as a promoter of international norms, such as human rights and nuclear non-proliferation. Additionally, the EU's continuous emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy, even amid rising tensions, reflects its identity as a distinct actor in the international system. The study delves into key aspects of this evolving relationship, including the EU's perception of Iran as a regional actor, the influence of interfaith and intercultural dialogue on EU-Iran engagements, and the ways in which social learning has reshaped EU strategies over time. The analysis reveals that repeated interactions between the EU and Iran have fostered mutual understanding and reframed strategic priorities, shifting from a focus on human rights to broader concerns of energy security and regional stability. This constructivist approach underscores the socially constructed nature of threats, opportunities, and interests, offering a nuanced understanding of the EU's enduring engagement with Iran. By shedding light on the ideational factors that inform EU policy, this study contributes valuable insights into the complexities of EU-Iran relations within an evolving global context.