ABSTRACT
This chapter analyzes the interplay between self-presentation and recognition vis-a-vis the European Union's (EU) main partner, the United States. It looks at the main agreements and disagreements among the transatlantic partners by briefly highlighting the American approach to Iran. The chapter investigates how both sides converged on a 'dual-track' approach of diplomacy and sanctions. While there have been important changes in each partner's broader line towards Iran, there still remain a number of differences. The two-word reason why Americans view Iran so differently than Europeans is not Islamic Revolution but, more precisely, 'hostage crises'. Based on the events surrounding the 1979 revolution in Iran, the United States has always seen the country in a more critical light than its European allies. Now that the dual-track approach has proved successful, lingering differences between the United States and Europe are likely to come to the fore again.
