By Hamid Bayati
Recent statements by the British prime minister and foreign secretary indicate that London demote itself to the position of an agent by accepting a new mission, and has begun a suspicious scenario against Iran. Britain, hostility of which to Iranian people is historically proven, has shown that it seizes any opportunity to hit Iran. Following the September 14 attacks on the Aramco oil facilities by Yemenis, Britain launched a new campaign against Iran.
As evidence shows, London has been commissioned by Saudi Arabia to incite the international community against Iran, and form an international coalition against the Islamic Republic. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab are the main drivers of the scenario.
Immediately after the attacks, the Yemenis announced that they had carried out the strikes, but a few days later Riyadh tried to lay the blame for the attacks on Iran.
Johnson and Raab’s mission began after Saudi officials exposed some parts of missile and fallen drones, claiming that Iran was in charge of the attack.
In this regard, Raab who tried to add fuel to fire since the beginning, started a new phase of his actions on Sunday, September 22. He explicitly claimed that Iran was in charge for the attacks.
Raab said in an interview, “Based on information that I have observed, I found that it is almost impossible that the attacks on Aramco was carried out by Houthis. It is invalid to say that Houthis attacked Aramco.”
Raab did not point out what group or country was responsible for the attacks from London’s prospective.
“Before we blame someone for the attacks, I want that the matter be clear for me, because the action that we intend to take will be powerful and widely backed,” he said.
On Monday, he wrote in a message on Twitter, “London is cooperating with international partners to offer a strong diplomatic response to the attack on Aramco oil facilities, and to establish security in the Middle East. Britain believes that Iran is most likely responsible for illegal attack on Saudi oil facilities. ”
In the meanwhile, Johnson made statements against Iran, claiming that Iran is in charge for the attack on the Saudi oil facilities, and British military is likely to participate in protecting Saudi Arabia against future attacks.
Saudi Arabia turning from the U.S. to Britain
The way that Saudi Arabia responded to the attacks on the Aramco oil facilities shows well that Riyadh is not satisfied with U.S. reaction to these attacks. The positions taken by American officials toward the incident does not meet Riyadh’s desires. Therefore, Saudi rulers decided to use another actor to achieve their goal, so which option is better than Britain?
Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have repeatedly stated in recent days that they are willing to use diplomacy in case of Iran. In case of Aramco, Saudi Arabia should make the final decision about Iran and possible action.
Of course, Trump agreed to dispatch new troops to Saudi Arabia and the UAE to make Riyadh keep quiet, but this position failed to meet Riyadh’s demand.
Supplying Brexit costs
There are many reasons why Britain has entered the game, but the main one is the cost of leaving the European Union.
Leaving the EU, if possible, will have great financial cost for London, one of which is paying £39 billion to Brussels. Johnson has claimed several times that Britain would not pay this sum to the EU and has announced some conditions for paying the bill at a lower cost.
In addition to the financial costs, leaving the European Union will also have political costs for Britain. One of the main costs will be a gap between London and European allies. So being next to Saudi Arabia, a country that world powers bow to its dollars, can minimize Brexit’s political consequences for Johnson.
Increasing the gap between London and France
Britain has launched a propaganda campaign against Iran, while the French president has made every efforts to maintain the JCPOA. Britain’s measures can at least disrupt the space that Emmanuel Macron is trying to create, and it means a gap between Paris and London. In other words, France is seeking to reduce tensions in the region, but Britain’s recent actions are intensifying them.
Britain has earlier displeased France with a careless action in recent months. It was related to a French plan to create a European maritime coalition in the Strait of Hormuz, while Britain backed the U.S. alternative plan all at once. As a result, France proposed European coalition without Britain.
Relying on the fleeting government
Saudi Arabia has selected Johnson and Raab to carry out the mission, while the situation of the British government is not stable at all. There are arguments about no confidence vote to Johnson as the parliament will start its work after a vacation.
Britain is dealing with Brexit, a crisis that has so far victimized administrations of David Cameron and Theresa May, and Johnson’s cabinet maybe its third victim.
However, the claims against Iran regarding attacks on Aramco are so futile that the U.S. has so far refused to accompany Saudi Arabia properly. The result of these changes will lead to isolation of Johnson and Raab among European allies.
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