An Emerging Trump Doctrine on Iran? Implications for the Middle East & Europe

The direction of President Trump’s foreign policy on Iran and the broader Middle East remains unclear. Thus far, the Trump administration has assumed a hardline stance toward Iran, putting Tehran 'on notice' for ballistic missile testing and including Iranian nationals in the recent US travel bans. However, it remains to be seen how far the White House doubles down on this confrontational rhetoric and undertakes measures targeting Iran that could threaten US security interests in the region.  

Panellists will consider Iran policy options under debate within the White House and the US Congress, including on the nuclear deal and Iran’s regional presence. The discussion will examine the implications for regional powers, Russia, and Europe of changes in US policy, in particular the impact on European governments and companies engaged with Tehran. 

Sir Richard Dalton is former British Ambassador to Iran (2002-2006) during which time he was involved in the negotiations between European countries and Iran. Sir Dalton is the current President of the Board of The British Iranian Chamber of Commerce.

Ellie Geranmayeh (@EllieGeranmayeh) is a senior policy fellow for the Middle East and North Africa Programme at ECFR where she focuses on Iranian foreign and domestic policy and European engagement with Iran post sanctions. Her expertise also covers wider regional dynamics as outlined in her latest policy publications 'After ISIS: How to Win the Peace in Iraq and Libya' and 'The new power couple: Russia and Iran in the Middle East'. 

Reza Marshai (‪@rezamarashi‪) is Research Director at the National Iranian American Council. He formerly served at the Office of Iranian Affairs at the US Department of State. Prior to his tenure at the State Department, he worked for a Tehran-based private strategic consultancy on Iranian political and economic risk.

Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi (@AnisehBassiri) is Research Fellow at the Royal United Service Institute (RUSI). Her research focuses on security in the Middle East, with a particular focus on Iran’s foreign and domestic politics. She completed her PhD project at the War Studies Department of King’s College London, looking at the diplomatic initiative of France, Germany and the UK (E3) on the Iranian nuclear issue.