Beyond the Arab Spring 

A May autumn in the Persian Gulf 

British Prime Minister Theresa May addressing a summit of the GCC spoke comforting words that must have been sweet music to the ears of Gulf rulers congregating in Dubai. With the USA in the midst of a presidential transition, surrogates such as the ‘Western Isle’ and France are presumably tasked with looking after the US interests till the new President is sworn in. To reassure frightened and insecure allies, the carrot dangled before them by the British leader this week (French President Francois Hollande had earlier paid homage to the GCC in May last year) was a strategic partnership in the political, defence, security and trade realms, as well a unified approach to regional issues. And of course an ‘ambitious trade agreement’, in essence reflecting the country’s post-Brexit fears about its international exports and energy security concerns.

And in the regional picture inevitably enters the Islamic Republic of Iran, arch-nemesis and nightmare of the monarchies and Sheikhdoms. The nuclear deal, which lifted sanctions on Iran and gained it a modicum of international acceptance, has marred the vision of the Gulf Arab states to a quite excessive degree. It was ironic on the part of Theresa May to state at the summit that she was ‘clear-eyed’ about the threat posed by Iran ‘to the Gulf and the wider Middle East’ and that Britain was ready to help them ‘push back Iran’s aggressive regional actions’ and ‘destabilising activities’.

Britain is wading in deep and murky waters. According to a recent report by War on Want, a London-based human rights group, Britain is selling, apart from the routine advanced and expensive military weaponry, crowd control gear used to crush pro-democracy protests, training of sniper units, targeting advice and intelligence sharing meant to monitor and keep an eye on any dissent activity. Big Brother is watching YOU. Iran may be cut in the same cloth in its own way, but it would be a rash and unwise act to turn it into a pariah state in the region.