Friday, December 14, 2007

Tehran's Most Valuable Partner: The Role of Germany in the Iranian "Nuclear Crisis"



As one of Iran’s most important trading and negotiating partners, Germany plays a significant role in shaping European and international public opinion. Given Berlin’s growing influence in international relations, and its ties with the various stages of negotiations regarding the Iranian nuclear crisis, the world has become accustomed to adding Germany to the five permanent members of the Security Council in determining the process and fate of the Iranian nuclear case.
Germany, under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel, is in alliance with the United States to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. But it differs on the methods. While Washington places “all options on the table,” Berlin excludes a military solution to protect its interests in Iran.
The Iranian-German relations are some of the oldest bilateral relations in modern history. Riza Pahlavi leaned toward Nazi Germany in WW II, and even the name change of his country from Persia to Iran (meaning the country of Aryans), connecting Iran with Germany on the racial level as well. His son, Mohammed Riza Pahlavi married Thuraya Isfandari, of German maternal origins. More...

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