What the Warsaw conference revealed about transatlantic strains over Iran
A retrospective on the February 2019 Warsaw gathering and the dispute it exposed between Washington and European capitals.
What did the Warsaw conference achieve, as seen from 20 February 2019, a few days after it closed? The meeting, hosted by Poland and the United States on 13 and 14 February 2019, was billed around Iran, yet it ended by highlighting a rift between Washington and its European partners.
The joint announcement listed the issues as terrorism and extremism, missile development and proliferation, maritime trade and security, and threats posed by proxy groups across the region. Earlier in February, the US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, had said the aim was to focus on Iran's influence and terrorism in the region.
European objections to that purpose followed. According to later accounts, the United States was forced to backtrack on plans to build a global coalition against Iran.
On 14 February 2019, US Vice President Mike Pence accused European Union members of trying to break US sanctions against Iran. He also called on the EU to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
For readers following how international disputes shape the diplomatic setting around Ukraine, the episode is a reminder that even a conference with a stated common agenda can lay bare disagreement among allies. The Warsaw meeting ended with the question of Iran policy still dividing the two sides of the Atlantic.
