Diplomacy at Work (2003–05)

Abstract

From 2003 to 2005, the discovery of Iran’s nuclear activities that had not been declared to the IAEA opened an important negotiating phase between Iranian representatives, keen on avoiding a referral to the United Nations Security Council, and European delegates who formed a “negotiating troika” to defuse tensions and reach a diplomatic solution. These negotiations pivoted around three crucial conditions: the suspension of all enrichment activities; the disclosure of all past nuclear activities carried out by Iran; and the discussion of proposals from both sides to reach a long-term political agreement. Although some deals were achieved in the short term, the lack of agreement on the nature and modalities of the implementation of these measures inevitably led to the failure of the negotiations. A significant opportunity to reach a diplomatic solution, which became more even more complex after Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s election as president of the Islamic Republic in June 2005, was thus lost.