Delegation: The Federal Republic of Germany Committee: NATO Topic: Countering Iran’s Regional Influence In 1955, Konrad Adenauer described it best: “After a dreadful experience gained in two world wars, Germany is longing as ardently as any other nation in the world for security and peace.” NATO is a pillar for Germany’s security policy and upholding peace, and we seek to tackle the matter of Iranian regional influence -with our NATO partners- with the upmost urgency. Germany maintains its place of being the 5th export partner of Iran, revealing the economic leverage we have over them while being complaint to sanctions. Despite this, diplomatic ties have worn and we remain vigilant regarding Iran’s foreign policy. Therefore, we pledge to work in close collaboration with NATO and it’s member states to find solutions concerning this challenge which we all face. Germany is primarily concerned by 3 parts of Irans foreign policy. First, its nuclear program provokes instability in the region, and must be contain especially following recent tensions. Second, it has also expressed interest in expanding its influence outside the region. Iran is capable of intruding into European affairs, with the suspicion of the IRGC to be behind certain terrorist attacks such as in Germany. Third, Iran is securing defence partnerships with proxy groups, menacing the stability of our region and of key allies, such as Israel. It is clear that sanctions must be imposed on Iran to isolate it and cease all attacks. However, frameworks such as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) reveal the potential wider collaboration with Iran. As Germany contributed to this nuclear deal, a rapprochement, such as in counterterrorism, could guarantee more stability. A memorandum of understanding is a viable option to make Iran comply with international standards, as military strength should be of last resort. We believe there is a necessity to conduce cooperation not only with NATO member states but also with non-NATO countries. Consequently, we urge member states to meet the NATO alliance target to spend 2% of gross domestic product on defence to ensure our and our regional partners safety. Part of that spending will be focused on countering hybrid threats emanating from Iran, such as cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns. Additionally, as part of our principles, cooperative security has a lot at stake when discussing Iran’s regional influence. The myriad of gulf monarchies in the Middle East are becoming relevant global politics powers in the region. Further reinforcing our ties with them through defense partnerships and nuclear energy partnerships will enable us to to contain Iran’s expanding network. The Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI) is thus a partnership which we can further strengthen our ties with. To conclude, Germany believes peace and security can be found through diplomatic manners. It is of its utmost importance that all NATO members remain resolved to work collectively. As a famous German quote states, “wer rastet, der rostet!”, or, “who rests, rusts!”. Hence, lets pour our efforts into regional stability to carry on political dialogue and practical cooperation with Iran. Vielen Dank, The delegation of Germany Bibliography 1. Nejad, A. F. (2016, January 1). German–Iranian Relations after the Nuclear Deal: Geopolitical and Economic Dimensions. Insight Turkey. https://www.insightturkey.com/articles/germaniranian-relations-after-the-nuclear-deal-geopolitic al-and-economic-dimensions 2. A new momentum: Recalibrating Germany’s foreign policy toward the Gulf monarchies. (n.d.). Middle East Institute. https://www.mei.edu/publications/new-momentum-recalibrating-germanys-foreign-policy-towar d-gulf-monarchies 3. Iran-Germany environmental cooperation to pick up steam. (2016, October 7). Tehran Times. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/407124/Iran-Germany-environmental-cooperation-to-pick-up -steam 4. IRGC believed to be behind attacks on Jewish centers in Germany: media. (n.d.). Iran International. https://www.iranintl.com/en/202212319628 5.https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-hits-2-nato-target-first-time-since-1992-report s-dpa-2024-02-14/#:~:text=BERLIN%2C%20Feb%2014%20(Reuters),invasion%20of%20Ukrai ne%20in%202022.
