The joint virtual session between the Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) and the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) was held about international and regional issues on Tuesday, Feb.9 ,2021.

The meeting was attended by Dr.Mohammad KazemSajjadpour, Deputy Minister of MOFA & President of IPIS; Mr.Majid Ghafelebashi, Research Deputy at the Center; Hassan Ahmadian and Naser Hadian, Professors at university of Tehran, on one side; Mr.Kristian Fischer, President of DIIS; Ms.Maria Louise and Ms.Helle Malmvig, Senior Researchers at DIIS, on the other side.

The session was held in the form of two panels, “Latest Developments in the Persian Gulf and European Union”, “The new US Administration and the Future of the JCPOA”, to answer the following questions: 1) What are the prospects of the Transatlantic relations, after the new US administration’s policy? 2) What are the main current challenges to peace and stability in the Persian Gulf region? 3) What are the impacts of the new US administration on the international issues? 4) What will the new US administration’s scenarios and approaches be toward the JCPOA?

Here are the most important issues touched upon at the session:

The international community is now in a transitional period and this can provide a good opportunity for all countries and international institutes to strengthen constructive relations and work for establishing collective security. Also, the opportunities and challenges of the post-Trumpian era and the change from unilaterism to multilaterism can yield positive gains for the international community.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always had a crucial and constructive role in solving the regional issues such as that in Yemen. In this regard, the first formal trip by the UN special envoy on Yemeni affairs to Iran is another clear sign of Iran’s importance as a regional player in the region. Iran had previously hailed any initiative to establish peace and security in Yemen and declared readiness to offer its hand to solve the Yemeni conflict.

Preserving the JCPOA agreement is essential for the regional security and stabilization and consolidation of peace in the region. Also, the JCPOA is the only reliable way for settling the Iranian nuclear issue. Therefore, because the US withdrew from the nuclear agreement against the UNSC’s binding resolution and left the negotiating table, to show good will, as its first step it must lift the sanctions it imposed on Iran. Also, Iran in turn will return to all its commitments under the JCPOA after testing. The internal JCPOA’s Joint Commission has the capacity to solve the problems and coordinate steps by all members to preserve the agreement.