The dramatic resignation of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom gives the kingdom a golden opportunity to adopt a new policy towards Iran, one that takes seriously the threat posed by the Ayatollah regime to Britain and its allies.
From his tenure as Secretary of State to his last term as Prime Minister, Johnson’s approach to Iran could be described as ambiguous at best. During the Trump administration, Johnson used to give the American officials who dealt with the Iranian issue the impression that he was very skeptical about the Obama-era nuclear agreement, which was supposed to limit Iran’s nuclear activities.
But even if in private conversations Johnson expressed any misgivings about the agreement, in practice they did not push him to put an end to British involvement in it. On the contrary – under his leadership, Britain supported the West’s efforts to revive the nuclear agreement, in the face of increasing evidence that Iran has no interest in meeting its obligations.
In further proof that Iran is violating the nuclear agreement, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran recently began to increase uranium enrichment activities at the underground facility in Fordow. Experts estimate that such a step would allow the Iranians to enrich uranium to an operational level without IAEA inspectors will be able to find out.
Iran’s demonstrated defiance towards the agreement it signed with the Obama administration in 2015 is a key factor in the failure of the Biden administration to revive the agreement, despite the many political resources the president invested in the task of improving relations with Tehran. As a result, with Johnson’s departure from the Prime Ministership, his successor will have the opportunity to adopt a new and tougher policy towards Iran, one that will clearly define the Ayatollahs as an immediate threat to the security of Britain and its allies.
The extent of the Iranian threat was reflected in a statement issued by American National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, according to which Iran agreed to supply Russia with hundreds of UAVs in order to support Putin’s war efforts in Ukraine. The Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine was halted due to heavy losses suffered by the Russian army in both equipment and people, and in Moscow Desperate to secure reinforcements to keep it going. Hundreds of Iranian drones could provide the Russians with the boost they need. “The information we have indicates that the Iranian government is preparing to provide Russia with several hundred unmanned drones, including those capable of carrying weapons, on an accelerated schedule.” Sullivan said in a briefing with reporters at the White House.
The revelation regarding the deepening Iranian involvement in the Ukrainian conflict should definitely worry the British government, which under Johnson strongly supported Ukraine. So strong was the support that in Ukraine several streets were named in honor of the ousted British Prime Minister. Under these circumstances, it will be very difficult for Johnson’s successor to continue the same policy toward Tehran, as long as Iran actively supports the Russian war effort in Ukraine.
The British Army certainly has no illusions about the extent of the Iranian threat, after a unit of the Royal Marines intercepted a shipment of Iranian surface-to-air missiles that was destined to reach the Houthi rebels in Yemen. According to the details provided earlier this month by the British Ministry of Defense, Iran tried to smuggle the missiles using speedboats that Aden was off the coast of Yemen, when they were intercepted by the Royal Commando soldiers in the waters of the Gulf of Oman.
The recent increase in Iranian military activity, both in the Persian Gulf region and in Ukraine, provides conclusive evidence that not only is Iran not really trying to reach a new agreement with the West, it is also determined to increase hostilities. This is a change in approach that the next British Prime Minister will have to recognize, when he formulates British policy with regard to dealings with Iran.
Britain, along with the other Western companies that signed the original nuclear agreement, must base its policy on the assumption that the Ayatollah regime is a hostile regime, and has no interest or interest in reaching peaceful agreements with the West.
The column was first published on the Gatestone Institute website.