European Union’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy in the Middle East and Its Relations with Iran

Regional crises and emergence of a new form of terrorism in the Middle East and flow of growing number of immigrants and refugees to the European Union countries have made them to give high significance to their stances of having political and security cooperation with Iran, as a stable and powerful country of the region. This article shows that the EU’s strategy of campaign against terrorism will give an impetus to the Union’s regional relations with Iran in the Middle East and prompt formation of a new geopolitical relations. The main issue this article focuses on European countries’ lack of access to necessary practical mechanisms of coordination and integration for effective campaign against terrorism, especially the Takfiri terrorism such as Daesh (ISIS) and al-Qaeda. Hence, the EU has been concentrating on the policy of prevention of threats in the region to upgrade cooperation with regional states, especially Iran, to impede spread of terrorism from the Middle East to its territories in eastern side (areas covering Syria and around) and the western side regions (North Africa). The researcher concludes that in their attempt to adopt anti- terrorism strategies, the European Union members are gradually more inclined to upgrade cooperation with Iran in the security, political, economic and energy sectors.