Wednesday
Jun242009
Iran and Britain: Diplomatic Breakdown?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009 at 7:33
The Latest from Iran (24 June): Peering Through the Clouds
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Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, a regular contributor to Enduring America, assesses the significance of yesterday's news of tit-for-tat expulsions of Iranian and British diplomats:
In an eye-for-an-eye exchange on 23 June, Iran and Britain each cordially "invited" two diplomats to leave their post amidst accusations that they had exceeded their normal duties. Since it is remarkably rare for diplomats to be expelled, this is a powerful statement, marking the first stage of diplomatic breakdown between London and Tehran.
In the recent, past, Britain and Russia went through a similar situation when certain officers were expelled from the British Council in St. Petersburg. In return the Russian staff were sent home from the UK. Relations between London and Moscow have yet to recover fully.
The same may now occur between Iran and the UK. In diplomatic terms, each side balances on a knife-edge over their next steps, while the strongest message broadcast is that Iran will not tolerate interference in its internal affairs.
Both the UK and Iran have important diplomatic missions in the other's country. Britain has a large commercial and educational department in Iran, as well as a large number of Iranian tourists and students applying for entry clearance into the UK. The Iranian Embassy in the UK also has an important mission of consular services as well as commercial interests.
Many people in the UK will now be concerned about ties between Iran and the UK in terms of mutual visits, study, tourism and trade, not forgetting that many people travel to Iran for business as well as pleasure, and vice versa. The breaking of these vital yet delicate official links is a long-term concern. Meanwhile, as Iran officially states that the Presidential election results stand, the diplomatic tensions raise the question of whether Tehran can put itself forward as a force for peace in the Middle East and Central Asia, contributing to regional and international security as well as counter-narcotic and counter-proliferation efforts.
Diplomatic rows are common. The main goal of diplomacy is fundamentally selfish, as each side is always "arguing the case for its state". However, the tensions are usually contained within an understanding of how to conduct and maintain relations. This is now challenged by yesterday's development: the act of sitting down and talking or even being in the same room - far from minor successes --- may now be lost.
To be continued as events unfold....
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Shirvin Zeinalzadeh, a regular contributor to Enduring America, assesses the significance of yesterday's news of tit-for-tat expulsions of Iranian and British diplomats:In an eye-for-an-eye exchange on 23 June, Iran and Britain each cordially "invited" two diplomats to leave their post amidst accusations that they had exceeded their normal duties. Since it is remarkably rare for diplomats to be expelled, this is a powerful statement, marking the first stage of diplomatic breakdown between London and Tehran.
In the recent, past, Britain and Russia went through a similar situation when certain officers were expelled from the British Council in St. Petersburg. In return the Russian staff were sent home from the UK. Relations between London and Moscow have yet to recover fully.
The same may now occur between Iran and the UK. In diplomatic terms, each side balances on a knife-edge over their next steps, while the strongest message broadcast is that Iran will not tolerate interference in its internal affairs.
Both the UK and Iran have important diplomatic missions in the other's country. Britain has a large commercial and educational department in Iran, as well as a large number of Iranian tourists and students applying for entry clearance into the UK. The Iranian Embassy in the UK also has an important mission of consular services as well as commercial interests.
Many people in the UK will now be concerned about ties between Iran and the UK in terms of mutual visits, study, tourism and trade, not forgetting that many people travel to Iran for business as well as pleasure, and vice versa. The breaking of these vital yet delicate official links is a long-term concern. Meanwhile, as Iran officially states that the Presidential election results stand, the diplomatic tensions raise the question of whether Tehran can put itself forward as a force for peace in the Middle East and Central Asia, contributing to regional and international security as well as counter-narcotic and counter-proliferation efforts.
Diplomatic rows are common. The main goal of diplomacy is fundamentally selfish, as each side is always "arguing the case for its state". However, the tensions are usually contained within an understanding of how to conduct and maintain relations. This is now challenged by yesterday's development: the act of sitting down and talking or even being in the same room - far from minor successes --- may now be lost.
To be continued as events unfold....
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