Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs

Iranian Review of Foreign Affairs

The European Union's Strategic Autonomy: A Case Study of the Iran Nuclear Issue, the Ukraine War, and the Gaza Crisis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD in Regional Studies (European Studies), Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Regional Studies (European Studies), Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 PhD Candidate in Regional Studies (European Studies), Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/irfa.2025.484958.1261
Abstract
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.
Keywords

Subjects


Article Title Persian

استقلال استراتژیک اتحادیه اروپا: مطالعه موردی مسئله هسته‌ای ایران، جنگ اوکراین و بحران غزه

Authors Persian

ابراهیم باقری 1
محمد رضا مجیدی 2
شهیره نوذری 3
1 دکتری تخصصی مطالعات منطقه ای (مطالعات اروپا)- دانشکده حقوق و علوم سیاسی- دانشگاه تهران- تهران- ایران- پژوهشگر ارشد مسائل اروپا
2 دانشیار گروه مطالعات منطقه ای (گرایش اروپا) – دانشکده حقوق و علوم سیاسی- دانشگاه تهران- تهران- ایران
3 دانشجوی دکتری مطالعات منطقه ای (گرایش اروپا)- دانشکده حقوق و علوم سیاسی- دانشگاه تهران-تهران- ایران
Abstract Persian

سوال پژوهش حاضر این است که آیا اتحادیه اروپا در موضوعات و بحران های مهم جهانی توانسته استقلال استراتژیک خود را که مهم ترین مولفه برای اتخاذ تصمیمات خود بنیاد این نهاد است، حفظ کند؟ چارچوب مفهومی پژوهش حاضر استقلال استراتژیک اتحادیه اروپا است که در قالب سه مطالعه موردی موضوع هسته ای ایران، جنگ اوکراین و بحران غزه مورد بررسی قرار گرفته است. فرضیه پژوهش این است که رویکرد اتحادیه اروپا به موضوع هسته ای ایران و دو جنگ اوکراین و غزه، نشان از عدم استقلال استراتژیک اتحادیه اروپا در اتخاذ تصمیمات خود بنیاد بوده است. موضوع هسته ای ایران پس از دو دهه مذاکرات وتوافقات متعدد و نهایتاً شکست آن، مهم ترین موضوعی است که عدم استقلال استراتژیک اتحادیه اروپا در اتخاذ تصمیمات خود بنیاد را به نمایش گذاشته است. همچنین دو جنگ اوکراین و غزه و رویکرد اتحادیه اروپا در برخورد با این دو بحران، ضمن به نمایش گذاشتن استانداردهای دوگانه اروپا در اعمال قدرت نرم و رهبری ارزشی- اخلاقی، استقلال استراتژیک این اتحادیه را بیشتر مورد سوال قرار داده است. یافته های پژوهش در چارچوب مطالعات موردی ذکر شده حاکی از این است که تا زمانی که اتحادیه اروپا فاقد انسجام سیاسی در ارائه رویکرد دیپلماتیک و سیاسی به صورت خود بنیاد باشد (به عنوان مهم ترین مولفه استقلال استراتژیک)، به عنوان بازیگری وابسته و تابع تلقی خواهد شد. چیزی که در ادبیات اتحادیه اروپا از آن تحت عنوان «کسری استقلال استراتژیک» یا «کسری حاکمیت سیاسی و نظامی» یاد می شود. روش پژوهش توصیفی تحلیلی بوده و شیوه گردآوری داده ها کتابخانه ای و مبتنی برکتاب ها، مقالات، منابع اینترنتی و اظهارنظرهای مقام های مهم است.

Keywords Persian

"اتحادیه اروپا"
"استقلال استراتژیک"
" موضوع هسته ای ایران"
"جنگ اوکراین"
"بحران غزه"
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Volume 15, Issue 2 - Serial Number 40
December 2024
Pages 285-309

  • Receive Date 23 September 2024
  • Revise Date 25 October 2024
  • Accept Date 21 December 2025