What Does Britain Seek in Iran?

For instance, the recent appointment of Mohsen Baharvand as Iranian ambassador to London, brings this issue to mind that Iran's first agenda in Britain can be pursuing legal issues like forty-year claim of Iran from Britain (IMS case) and actions violating the rights of the Iranian people especially perfidy of Britain in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), oppressive sanctions of the United States, and full compliance of Britain and European troika in those sanctions.

Any analyst familiar with Iranian-British relations will have no difficulty in listing the legal issues that ambassador Baharvand should pursue: official presence of terrorist groups in Britain and their activities against the Iranian people, including extensive activity of M.E.K terrorist group, monarchists, separatist armed groups, etc.; attack by these terrorists against Iranian voters living in Britain in recent Iranian election as well as shortcoming and silence of British government in this regard; activity of anti-Iran Persian language networks in that country that, with falsification and lying, try to incite and encourage people to riot and commit anarchy.

Above-mentioned cases and dozens of other similar examples show that Islamic Republic of Iran by choosing Ambassador Baharvand intends to pursue these issues legally.

On the other side, when we look at the background of the new British ambassador to Tehran, Simon Shercliff, we come to some interesting results. For the past two decades, he has been actively involved in all crises in the Southwest Asia region with diplomatic cover. He was sent to Iraq at the height of the military occupation. He was assigned in Afghanistan during war on this country. Later he was appointed as British ambassador to Yemen right in the middle of Saudi Arabia's heavy invasion on Yemen while he was stationed in Riyadh and was cooperating with the aggressor. These are some of the records of the new British ambassador to Tehran.

Mr. Shercliff's background at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office is also interesting. Among all, he has been president of National Security Office and former head of National Counter-Terrorism Security Office. It is good to be reminded that Shercliff’s close friend and colleague -Richard Moore - who was political director of British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and former British ambassador in Turkey, has been recently appointed as the chief of British foreign spy agency MI6. Now, Moore is sending his favorite former colleague to Iran.

The relocation of elites between MI6 and the foreign policy system of Britain, has already been the case in the past like when John Sawers became chief of the MI6 – the person who worked as an ambassador and diplomat to various countries for years. When Sawers was appointed as MI6 chief, he explicitly stated that in any way, Iran must be prevented from achieving nuclear capability and only few days later, an Iranian nuclear scientist was assassinated in Tehran.

Shercliff has lived in the US for years and just like his friend and former boss - John Sawers - is considered one of the close people to American government. He has also had close contact with anti-Iran figures in the media as well as security convicts in the country.

Iran has banned British Council activities in Iran due to widespread and destructive illegal actions. But now the country will host a British ambassador whose wife - Emma Cole - has held important positions in British Council for years in countries such as Nigeria and Ukraine. She has managed cultural infiltration projects in the name of issues such as gender equality, women empowerment and etc.

Now, we return to the main question of this article which is what British seeks in Tehran. British foreign policy is a reminder of bitter memories in Iranian history such as: the great famine -1917 to 1919- that caused death of more than nine million Iranians, August 9,1953 coup d'etat, colonial contracts, military occupation of Iran in World War II, supporting Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussain in the imposed war against Iran, interference in the internal affairs of Iran, supporting rioters in 2009 as well as oppressive sanctions on Iran.

Currently the main question that arises is what purpose London seeks in Tehran by appointing a high-ranking intelligence officer as their next ambassador. British Foreign & Commonwealth Office had better think twice before claiming it is after improving bilateral relations with Iran. They need to respond clearly to these ambiguities surrounding their so-called diplomatic activities and destructive approach toward Tehran.