Europe moves from third-way talk to Washington-aligned Iran policy

Europe’s once-vaunted “third-way” approach to Iran has largely yielded to Washington’s sanctions-driven strategy, with European governments and many private companies increasingly prioritizing access to the US market and dollar-based finance over Iran ties, even as EU leaders publicly hesitate to endorse all US measures. The shift is shaping diplomacy (e.g., UN/IAEA actions) and Europe’s security calculus while the broader economic war tightens: Iran’s ports and oil exports have fallen under blockade, and Washington is widening financial pressure on foreign banks linked to Tehran. Separately, Starlink’s expanding availability in neighboring Iraq and the UAE could provide a nascent backdoor to the Iranian internet, offering journalists and dissidents a potential workaround, though Tehran remains able to clamp down. Overall, Europe’s alignment with Washington on Iran is real and growing, even if formal rhetoric still preserves some autonomy.)