Worrying developments in the UK-Iran relationship

Buried under a plethora of stories related to public sector workers going out on strike and the Government’s Autumn Statement, comes the news that Britain’s embassy in Iran was stormed. Flags were burned, staff were evacuated and Britain’s already shaky diplomatic relationship with Iran has been shattered.

This should come as no surprise. In the past few years, under consecutive Iranian governments including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s, Iranian rhetoric has become increasingly hostile to the United Kingdom. In 2005 the Iranian government accused Britain of orchestrating bombings in the south-west of Iran. In 2007, 15 British sailors and marineswere seized by Ir

anian forces in the Shatt-al-Arab for “straying” into Iranian waters. They were subsequently released as a “gift”, but the damage had been done. Most bizarrely, Mr Ahmadinejad scolded Britain for its treatment of the rioters this year.

So when the British embassy was stormed, we really should have seen it coming and planned accordingly. The government’s response so far has been to expel  all Iranian diplomats from the UK and to close the Iranian embassy in London. This seems to be the standard, draconian response of a 

state in the midst of a diplomatic crisis. But what will that achieve? Surely, in the midst of a diplomatic crisis, the most perverse policy reaction is to cut links with the very people who could help to rectify the situation.

Of course, Britain has to respond to this crisis but its response should be couched in a broader policy response intrying to improve diplomatic relations with Iran. Now the government has expelled Iranian diplomats, it should seek to engage with Tehran through the EU Foreign Affairs Council. If the 

European Union member states engage collectively with Iran, it has the potential to make more progress in curbing its nuclear ambitions and human rights abuses. The EU is Iran’s main trading partner and the future prosperity of its people relies on making this relationship work. Therefore the EU has significant leverage to bring Iran in from its isolationist wilderness and re–integrate it fully within the international community. Britain should direct its policy response at shaping EU-Iran relationships.

 but not unexpected. If we are to enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with Iran, we need to look to the EU to use its significant leverage to coax Iran into engaging with Western states in a mature manner. That will be to the benefit of citizens here in the UN and in Iran.