The United States and the European Union Policies toward the Middle East Issues of Instability (2003-2016): The Iraq War and the Iranian Nuclear Crisis

Abstract

This thesis explores the policies of the United States and the European Union toward key issues of instability in the Middle East between 2003 and 2016, with particular focus on the Iraq War and the Iranian nuclear crisis. It analyzes the patterns of divergence and convergence that defined transatlantic foreign policy toward the Middle East during these focal years. Through employing a qualitative, comparative case study design, the thesis reveals how both players formulated and implemented their strategies in response to shared security challenges, including two key issue areas: Iraq and Iran. The findings reveal that the United States and the European Union often pursued differing policies due to contrasts in strategic culture, foreign policy systems, and perceptions of regional threats. The Iraq War revealed deep transatlantic splits, driven by US unilateralism and EU internal divisions, ultimately weakening Western influence and contributing to long term regional instability. Conversely, the Iranian nuclear crisis illustrated the potential for transatlantic cooperation, particularly as the E3 and later the P5+1 played a chief diplomatic role. Shifts in US strategy under the Obama administration largely made convergence possible, conforming American policy with established EU preferences for multilateral diplomacy. This research fills a gap in fully understanding the complex forces shaping US and EU policy choices and assesses their implications for the future of the Middle East, international diplomacy, and transatlantic relations. It contributes to academic scholarship by offering an integrated theoretical and empirical analysis of transatlantic foreign policy in two critical arenas of Middle Eastern geopolitics. Overall, it provides a key reference for understanding transatlantic relations, Western involvement in the Middle East, and the conditions under which great-power cooperation can alleviate or intensify regional instability.