Behind London's Iranophobia: Traces of a Bigger Crisis?

Recent conduct by European countries, from intensified sanctions on Russia to accusations against Iran, reflects continental panic more than a sign of strength. Under pressure from economic crisis, dependence on the US and declining global standing, Europe continues to rely on failed prescriptions, as if, to escape political death, it has turned to calculated self-destruction.

Ambassador Arjan-International Group: For years, Europe has sacrificed its security independence and, as a result, its political and economic independence to link with Washington; But now, after enduring heavy US tariffs and being left out of the country's global equation, it has faced another scandal. The Europeans have spent hundreds of billions of dollars to support Ukraine and confront Russia, but at the same time, Donald Trump, the president of the United States, spoke about the agreement to import Russian diesel and called for elections in Ukraine; Developments that make Volodymyr Zelensky's political future uncertain.

This apparent contradiction shows that Washington, contrary to the imagination of European leaders, prioritizes its interests over Atlantic obligations. Europe has once again been bitten by the same hole of trust in America; With the difference that this time, the costs of following Washington have questioned not only the strategic independence, but also the political credibility and economic power of this continent.

addiction to sanctions and accusations; Escape from reality

The European Union's response to new developments is the continuation of the same failed policies. This union has added nearly 1,600 new items to Russia's sanctions list. European Council President Antonio Costa described the move as the biggest single-time expansion of the sanctions list since the start of the Ukraine war. Kaya Callas, the head of the Union's foreign policy, also emphasizes the continuation of pressure, and the German chancellor has announced Berlin's opposition to reducing pressure on Moscow.

But the basic question is, to what extent the intensification of sanctions can compensate for the failure of Europe's previous calculations? When America follows the path of securing its interests from the heart of the agreement with Russia, Europe's insistence on economic pressure is more than a sign of strength, it shows the inability to review failed policies.

In this context, the new accusations against Iran and Russia can also be evaluated. England, which has been one of the main companions of Washington's policies, is trying to once again turn Iranphobia into a tool of its foreign policy by claiming that the Farford base incident in Iran was coordinated and led by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, sanctioning two Iranians and issuing a joint statement with 28 countries. The British Prime Minister's claim about Russia's role in the 2016 Brexit referendum can also be examined in the same framework: shifting public opinion's attention from internal crises and foreign policy contradictions to external threats.

show the power of Europe; An unsupported narrative in the field of reality

The contradiction between claims and reality is the most important weakness of Europe's power display. Alexander Novak, Russia's deputy prime minister for energy affairs, announced the value of Russian energy exports to the European Union from 2022 to 320.7 billion dollars; A figure that highlights the gap between the propaganda image of sanctions and the reality of economic relations.

In the military field, the request to formulate an independent strategy for Europe and Ukraine, along with Zelensky's request to Trump to put pressure on Russia in the field of energy, is a sign of Kiev's security dependence and the weakness of the West's strategic coordination. Aleksos Grinkevich, the top commander of NATO forces in Europe, has also spoken about the lack of manpower in the European armies. Kaya Kalas's claim about the request of Saudi Arabia for Europe's help to pass through Bab al-Mandab also, without sufficient evidence, cannot be considered as a document to prove Europe's authority.

On the other hand, the signs of the crisis inside Europe have become more obvious. The British Institute of Financial Studies has warned about the pressure of inflation and government spending on the country's budget. The electoral defeat of Mertes in the German state elections, the protest of French students and the strikes in England also indicate the increase of social dissatisfaction. The inability of European countries to react decisively to the sanction of the International Criminal Court by the United States is another manifestation of the limitation of their political independence.

heavy cost of miscalculation; Europe is on the decline

The war in Ukraine, contrary to the initial expectations of European leaders, has turned into an erosion crisis with heavy economic and security costs; A crisis that can deepen the internal divisions of the union.

Europe's association with America in West Asia and participation in policies that, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, were accompanied by cooperation in American-Zionist aggression against Iran, also increases the risk of imposing new costs on this continent.

Any miscalculation can add another layer to Europe's economic and political crisis; Especially when the lack of independence has deprived this continent from playing a decisive role in global equations. Sanctioning Iran and repeating unproven claims is not a cure for the decline of Europe's power; Just as continuing to follow Washington does not provide a guarantee for the security and well-being of Europeans.

Europe must realize that Rubio's selective talk about history will be nothing but a mirage if it becomes a tool to drag the continent into new confrontations. The history of the Iranian nation has also shown that those calculating the destruction of Iran have faced realities that are not compatible with political propaganda, against the will and civilization of this nation. If Europe, fearing decline, continues to insist on the wrong path, it may create with its own hands the same future it is running away from.