Arresting embassy employees in Tehran, a futile act by Khamenei
Tehran (AsiaNews) – The arrest of eight local employees of the British Embassy in Tehran, which followed the expulsion of two British diplomats, continues to make waves in British-Iranian relations. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are behind these actions, trying to discredit the protest movement that is developing within Iran’s civil society.
There is nothing new in this. Historically, Iranians have been suspicious of Great Britain for a long time. For many Iranians, London has cast its shadow far and wide across Iranian society, always actively and cunningly involved in pulling strings behind the scenes to weaken and exploit Persia.
Half jokingly some have gone so far as to suggest that even the Islamic Revolution was planned in London. For years jokes have made the rounds in Tehran claiming that many a mullah’s turban or bear hides a ‘Made in the United Kingdom’ label.
More than the threatening all-powerful but crude and sincere Yanks, for Iranian nationalists the British incarnate the wily West that has prevent Iran from regaining its rightful place in the sun.
For decades, accusations have been levelled at the British Embassy; damages inflicted on its buildings. “Spontaneous” demonstrations have been organised outside its gates.
British authorities have always reacted with calm but firmly, as British Foreign Minister David Miliband did yesterday.
However, by arresting local employees of a Western Embassy the Iranian government can reach results on several levels. The first and main one is to strengthen domestic propaganda. It can claim that today’s opposition to Ahmadinejad comes from Iran’s historic enemy.
Young militants who ironically shout “Allah Akbar!” on Tehran rooftops might not believe in this kind of propaganda but their parents or cousins in the provinces might. This gives Khamenei some hope that the regime can limit the growth of the protest movement.
A second result the regime can hope for is greater pressure on foreign diplomats and local employees.
Realistically though, accusations against embassy employees are today totally unfounded. Any Iranian who wants to work in foreign embassy is subject to tight checks.
Any applicant must first provide police with past and present phone numbers and addresses (up to five). If he is issued an authorisation he and his family will be under more or less close surveillance by the security forces, or worse, by the other Iranian employees in the embassy.
The power of the mullahs and the Pasdarans is in fact also based on the work of informers, an activity that is facilitated and encouraged many ways, including through infamous anonymous letters.
In order to guard themselves against “spies” and protect their local employees from pressures from Iranian authorities, large Western embassies have taken a number of electronic and structural steps to prevent “locals” from having access to areas designated for foreign staff only.
For a former Australian diplomat, this might “appear as a lack of faith in the employees’ trustworthiness, but Iranian employees are the first to demand it. For them it is protection against pressures from Iranian intelligence services.”
It is therefore very unlikely that recent demonstrations were orchestrated by British diplomats or local employees since latter are under constant surveillance and pressure.
“They would be the last to scheme or demonstrate because it would be too dangerous for them,” a European diplomat stationed in Tehran said.
The steps taken against local employees of the British Embassy are probably a warning to the United Kingdom.
Khamenei probably wants Britain to silence or “moderate” the BBC Persian service. But this battle is very likely already lost.
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24/10/2019 17:56
