The UK Post Brexit Strategy in the West Asia and its Regional Implications for Iran
Yasser Nooralivand
Theresa May’s recent visit to Bahrain and her speech addressed to navy officers aboard HMS ahead of the (P)GCC shows the UK intension to prepare s strategy for the West Asia region in the post Brexit era.
The UK prime minister frequently forged Iran as a threat to the region and announced her country’s readiness to cooperate with the Council’s member states to push Iran for withdraw from the region; a position which immediately arouse tensions between London and Tehran.
Given the different positions of the UK officials on this issue, the following elements of the country’s future regional strategy can be recognized as following: gaining trade interests, political and military control of the region aiming at meeting Israel’s security, energy security, Iran containment, strategic alliance with the Persian Gulf states and so increasing the UK internal influence.
One can see different factors causing adoption of the Brexit policy among which the US inaction in the West Asia, Trump election as President of the USA and the current developments in relationship between the UK and regional countries are some of the important ones.
Surely this policy will have implications at the regional level, like, much military oriented policies and less possibility of an indigenous security establishment in the region, insecurity and an increase of terrorist group activities, and finally more religious and ethnic tensions, less speed of economic development, democratization and human development among the regional countries.
The main pillar of this policy will be getting free ride from the UK’s regional allies through gaining much economic and trade opportunities, more arms deals and establishment of military bases to guarantee the UK investments in exchange for a security umbrella. To sell this policy it is obvious that the UK government needs to introduce Iran as a threat and so to justify its proposals and offers to the PGCC members.
