Only diplomacy can resolve Iran-West row

The rift between Britain and Iran has snowballed into a major diplomatic storm, engulfing the two countries as well as Britain's allies in Europe and beyond.

The latest row was ignited on Tuesday after thousands of angry Iranian protesters stormed into British diplomatic compounds in Teheran. The most violent protest against the West in more than three decades set off a chain of reactions from Britain, its allies in Europe and the United States.

The relationship between Teheran and London has deteriorated steadily because of the standoff between Iran and the West over its nuclear program. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report released on Nov 18 alleged that Iran was continuing to enhance its nuclear weapons capacity and might still be conducting secret research to develop a nuclear bomb.

The report prompted the US and the European Union, including Britain, to impose new economic sanctions on Iran. In response, Iran downgraded its diplomatic ties with Britain two days before the attack on the British diplomatic compounds.

The new sanctions against Teheran intensified anti-West sentiments in Iran, lighting the fuse of the latest row between the West and Iran. The Iranian government publicly expressed regret over the "unacceptable behavior" of the protesters. But Britain believes that the attacks could not have taken place without the backing of the Iranian authorities.

On Wednesday, British Foreign Secretary William Hague ordered the immediate closure of the Iranian embassy in London and demanded that its staff leave Britain within 48 hours. France, Germany and the Netherlands soon recalled their ambassadors for consultations, while Italy is mulling taking the same course.

Regrettably, the ongoing diplomatic row between Iran and the Western powers shows no sign of abating, pushing Iran's relationship with the West to a new low. On Thursday, the EU tightened sanctions against Iran and was considering imposing an embargo on Iranian oil. The same day, the US Senate passed harsher measures against Iran, aiming to cut off Iran's central bank from the global financial system.

It seems that the US and European countries are driven by impulse, instead of rationality, in their relationship with Iran. If the countries involved in the row do not exercise restraint and refrain from taking more drastic action in retaliation, tension will continue to build in the already strained Gulf region.

Worse, the prospects of settling the issue peacefully through international efforts will look gloomier and the region will be pushed closer to a war.

To prevent tensions from escalating, all parties need to calm down, avoid taking impulsive action and fall back on resilient diplomacy. The parties should abide by the norms and principles of international relations, for dialogue and consultation have always been the best way to resolve conflicts and disagreements.

The new round of conflict has its root in the long-standing enmity between the West and Iran, which began in 1979 with the Islamic revolution and chaotic seizure of the US embassy in Teheran.

In recent years, US-led Western countries have maintained immense pressure on Iran. The rampant anti-US sentiments among Iranians and Teheran's suspected nuclear program have made the country an eyesore for the West. Since 2006, the US has forced the passage of four rounds of UN-authorized sanctions against Iran. Even before the IAEA report was released last month, American and Israeli officials had hinted at (even issued threats of) launching military strikes against Iran. Besides, the US is strengthening its military presence in the Gulf region.

With the three-decade-old animosity aggravated by new feuds, it seems the cloud of war is gathering over the Gulf, making it all the more important for the international community to step up its meditation efforts to prevent the diplomatic war from turning into a real war.

With its geographic advantage and special place in oil supply, Iran is especially important to peace and stability in the Middle East. It plays an important role in the world economy, too. Many countries, including some in the West, depend on Iran for a majority of their oil imports.

The Western powers are already in the throes of one of the worst economic crises. Financial constraints have forced the US to begin pulling out of Iraq, and it has decided to do the same in Afghanistan.

So if the diplomatic row between the West and Iran worsens and leads to a war, it will serve no country's interest.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily.

(China Daily 12/03/2011 page5)