Iran can cooperate with an expanded NATO
Former ambassador to Germany believes that Iran can cooperate with NATO
NATO today is a security reality that tries to extend its borders, so we must pay attention to this organization and think of ways to deal with it. NATO members can be divided into three states:
First are U.S. and Britain that seek full leadership of the organization and consequently, the world. Second are the new members that are most of them are also a member of European Union. For these countries, security is the future problem. Hence, they prioritize membership in NATO over membership in the European Union. This tendency widens the security gap in European Union. The third group consists of countries like France that demand for more cooperation in NATO and on the other hand oppose major changes of NATO’s military and security facet.
One of the reasons Americans try to globalize NATO is to void Europe from its security capacity. That’s why they say a European citizen can not pay two taxes, one for the European security force and one for NATO.
As to NATO’s intervention in Middle East, some believed in direct action, but Europeanists stood against this opinion. Their most important was that they viewed Middle East as their own backyard and didn’t want America to reinforce its position in the region. The other reason was that NATO’s face could be damaged in case of intervention, since European states believe that NATO will face problems in this region in the future.
NATO has been discussed in Iran’s foreign diplomacy debates, but up to now the issue has not been dealt with properly. Even in 2001 the Supreme National Security Council intended to approve a plan to confront NATO, a risky plan indeed. Eventually after lengthy debates in different organizations and institutes, including Revolutionary Guards (Sepah) and the Army, the Supreme National Security Council passed a plan according to which Iran should cooperate with NATO and its affiliates, countries like Turkey and European members that have difference with United States in this organization. Iran even sent a letter to Brussels for cooperation arrangements. The letter was also sent for some CIS members that were also on NATO.