Reproducing Tension in Iran-Britain Relations

Less than four months after the official reopening of the embassies of Iran and Britain in the capitals of both countries in September of this year, signs of reproduced tension in Tehran-London relations have once again become evident. This reproduction of tension can be seen in the two summons of the British representative in Tehran to the Iranian Foreign Ministry and one summons of the Iranian ambassador in London to the British Foreign Ministry. This tension is also clearly reflected in the recent statements of Ayatollah Khamenei, who, in strong remarks referring to the recent positions of the British Prime Minister, said: "Recently, the British have shamelessly called Iran, the oppressed and dear, a regional threat, but everyone knows that contrary to these accusations, it is the British who have always been the source of threat, corruption, danger, and misery." These remarks by the leader of the Islamic Republic were made ten days after Theresa May, the British Prime Minister, made strong statements at a joint meeting with the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Manama on December 8, stating: "I want to assure you that I am fully aware of the danger that Iran poses to the Middle East and the region. Britain is fully committed to strategic cooperation with the Gulf [Arab] countries to confront the threat from Iran... We must work together to counter Iran's aggressive actions in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, and the Gulf countries." She went so far as to say in an interview before her trip to Manama: "The security of the Gulf countries is our security." The British Prime Minister also made clear references to the Islamic Republic, stating that Britain's cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council would not be limited to military assistance but should also lead to cooperation to prevent extremism and terrorism. The British representative in Tehran was summoned to the Iranian Foreign Ministry once following these remarks on December 11 and again on December 18. The latter instance followed Boris Johnson, the British Foreign Secretary, summoning the Iranian ambassador on December 16 to express London’s opposition to the concerning situation in Aleppo. Thus, it is observed that within ten days of the British Prime Minister's statements on December 8, reactions and sharp rhetoric have escalated both at the level of the ministries of the two countries and among senior officials of both countries against each other. If one pays attention, the rhetoric between Tehran and London against each other arises from the fact that the two countries are positioned on opposite sides of developments in the Middle East and have no common ground in these developments. London accuses Tehran of disrupting Yemen, Iraq, and Syria, while Tehran (according to Ayatollah Khamenei) refers to the two-century history of "corruption, danger, and misery" of Britain in the region. For instance, following the events of 2009, Ayatollah Khamenei described Britain as the "most wicked" enemy of Iran, taking the place of the "Great Satan." The reproduction of tension in Iran-Britain relations is reminiscent of an event during the confrontation between Iran and the West over the nuclear issue in 2011, when London proposed sanctions against Iran's Central Bank to the European Union. Following this action, the Islamic Consultative Assembly passed a bill on November 27, 2011, which mandated the government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to downgrade relations with London from ambassadorial level to chargé d'affaires. Such a bill was passed while the atmosphere in the Assembly was highly tense against London. Thus, only two days later, on November 29, 2011, the British Embassy building in Tehran was stormed, leading to the severance of Tehran-London relations until diplomatic relations were fully resumed in September this year under Hassan Rouhani's government. Now, less than four months after the reopening of the embassies of both countries and the establishment of diplomatic relations, verbal tensions between Tehran and London have once again escalated, while this time the issue of tension is not related to Iran's nuclear file. What has prompted London to criticize Tehran this time is the same issue that led Theresa May towards the Gulf Cooperation Council, where she spoke of joint cooperation between London and the Council to counter "Iran's aggressive actions" in the region. Thus, it seems that a new chapter in the history of the tense Tehran-London relations since the Islamic Revolution has begun, while this tension is not due to the nuclear issue. The subject of this tension is London's and its allies' confrontation with what they see as Tehran's will to exert "regional hegemony." The strong reaction of the leader of the Islamic Republic is precisely based on this understanding that the signing of the JCPOA was the "beginning of the game," not the end of it. Therefore, there is a strong suspicion that London and its allies, after feeling relieved from the Iranian nuclear issue, are looking to open new files to exert pressure on Tehran. He had previously stated: "It is a mistake to think that the dispute between America and us is about the nuclear issue; no, the nuclear issue is an excuse... If one day the nuclear issue is resolved – suppose the Islamic Republic retreats; that is what they want – do not think the issue will be over; no, they will gradually bring up ten other excuses: Why do you have missiles? Why do you have drones? Why do you have a bad relationship with the Zionist regime? Why do you not recognize the Zionist regime? Why do you support resistance in the region... and why? and why? and why?" With this description, we must wait and see whether this renewed tension in Tehran-London relations will escalate to the point where London (after Trump's rise to power) seeks to impose new sanctions against Tehran? And will a reduction or severance of relations between Tehran and London occur again? Or will the two countries move towards some form of crisis management rather than escalation?