Iran’s Supreme Religious Leader Ayatollah Khamenei holds Britain responsible for the misery in Gulf

Tehran: ‘Britain has accused Iran to be a threat to the gulf. As a reply to this, ‘ Ayatollah Khamenei’, the supreme religious leader of Iran has held Britain responsible for the present misery in the gulf countries. A few days back ‘Theresa May’ Britain’s Prime Minister had criticized Iran to be a threat in the Gulf. Khamenei was retorting thus to the British Prime Minister’s criticism.

Iran’s supreme leader, thus showered a tirade of criticism on Britain from his website.’ Britain has been the source of this increasing cruelty and misery in the gulf countries. The damage caused to the gulf countries by Britain in the past several decades is incomparable’, said Khamenei from his website. Britain has created conflicts in the gulf region, displaced people from their own countries; like Iran,-Iraq, Pakistan and Palestine have been at the receiving end of Britain’s cunning , Khamenei said.

Iran’s supreme leader further said that Britain wants to keep gulf countries in a state of conflict. The age old policy of ‘divide and rule ‘, has been practiced by Britain with utmost skill in the Gulf. Britain is relying on a policy of keeping gulf countries at loggerheads, but the same Britain is blaming Iran for being a threat in the Gulf, added Khamenei. Like Britain, America too has been unleashing communal conflicts in the Arab-Gulf countries, blamed Khamenei.

The British Prime Minister, ‘Theresa May’ who was on a official visit to the Gulf had thus targeted Iran. ‘May’, who was attending ‘Gulf Corporation Council’ (GCC) summit meeting of the Arab countries had spoken of Iran as posing utmost danger to the security of the Gulf countries. The British Prime Minister was pointing to Iran’ s rising involvement in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon which in itself was indicative of the aggressive stance taken by Iran. ‘May’ had thus made an appeal to the Gulf countries to perceive this as a danger and oppose Iran’s aggressive move.

As a protest to Prime Minister ‘May’s announcement, and to express Iran‘s displeasure, summons were sent to the British Ambassador in Tehran. But Britain has ignored the entire proceedings.

Just last year, after signing the nuclear treaty with Iran, both Britain and Iran had opened embassies in September to increase political dialogue. Similar to other European countries, Britain too had established trade and economic cooperation with Iran.

In spite of all this, there are issues where both Iran and Britain are adamant. Iran has been supporting Assad’s regime in Syria as well as the Houthi rebellion in Yemen. Britain too, supports the rebellious group in Syria which has the support of Saudi Arabia. Likewise, Britain too has hailed the air attacks in Yemen which were carried out by Saudi Arabia.