Playing soft or hard cop

NOT since Athens and Persia went to war in the 5th century BC has Iran mattered so much to Europe. For the past few years, it has been the biggest test of the European Union's ability to affect such global issues as nuclear proliferation and energy security. It is also testing whether that most characteristic EU foreign-policy instrument, soft power, can work beyond the immediate neighbourhood. To its supporters, soft power is a slower, surer, more civilised way of exercising influence than crude force. Does the evidence from Iran bear this out?

It should be conceded right away that Iran has given soft power a reasonably fair hearing. Although some Europeans complain almost routinely that American indifference has sabotaged their efforts, for most of the past year George Bush's administration has put its weight behind the British, French and Germans (the so-called European three) on Iran. Moreover, Iran itself signed up to the process, at least at the start.