Time to cut Britain to its diminutive size

British lawlessness is growing everywhere as the regime in London, still thinking of itself as a worldwide empire, which it is definitely not, has started to bare its fangs against the Islamic Republic of Iran, and this time by hijacking an Iranian oil Tanker by violating in the Strait of Gibraltar the territorial waters of Spain, which has protested to Britain for its continued occupation of Gibraltar.

Iran’s English language daily ‘Kayhan International’ carried a Viewpoint Column in this regard in its issue of Saturday, July 6, titled: “Time to Cut Britain to its Diminutive Size”.

Kayhan International questioned: “What made Britain chose one of the most humiliating days in its colonial history to commit a self-humiliating act that only increases its ignominy to the detriment of its dwindling international interests?

“Inferiority complex, of course, for a country in crisis, with no leadership in sight to steer the ship out of the choppy waters of Brexit, and with an unstable person                                                     n like Boris Johnson aspiring to emerge as Premier in London, to the delight of the quixotic Donald Trump in Washington.

“It now becomes clear why the British indulged in an act of piracy in the Strait of Gibraltar by seizing a super tanker carrying Iranian crude oil on July 4, the anniversary of the ‘Declaration of Independence’ of their 13 rebellious New England colonies, which these days as the United States of America arrogantly gives orders to the former ‘Redcoats’ and the current ‘Tommy Atkins’, to commit terrorism against the Islamic Republic.”

According to Kayhan International: “On the anniversary of independence from Britain, while large crowds of Americans fed up with their inefficient administration, made a bonfire for the first time ever of the “Stars & Stripes” in front of the White House, as Donald the Dotard continued to blow his own trumpet behind a bulletproof glass shield to the few listeners cheering his nonsense without bothering to understand what he was saying, the British humbly obeyed the instructions from the other side of the Atlantic, by ambushing the oil tanker and towing it to the occupied Rock of Gibraltar, which is actually sovereign Spanish territory.

“The ship “Grace 1” was cruising through international waters and no country has any right to either stop it or detain it, on whatever pretext, since the right of navigation is guaranteed by the UN, which has not subjected Iran to any sanctions.

“In Tehran, British ambassador, Rob Macaire, was promptly summoned to the Foreign Ministry and sounded stern warning with the demand that “Grace 1” be immediately set free.

“The European Union quickly distanced itself from Britain’s act of piracy that has been condemned by world countries, with the only exception being the US whose National Security Advisor, the bespectacled bozo John Bolton, not only lauded the apparently terrorist move, but further humiliated London by saying that the orders were given by Washington to commit the crime.”

Kayhan International said: “In Iran, we are not concerned of the slavish attitude of Britain towards the US, and wish to make it clear that the Islamic Republic now has every right to take appropriate action against the vested interests of the British regime in our region.

“Iranians feel that the perpetrators of this latest crime against them should not be allowed to go unpunished, and it is time that over-inflated Britain was cut down to its real diminutive size.

“In Tehran, we entertain no threats, and if a colonial relic of the past, along with the fast fading American Empire, were to think that they can get away with their crimes, then they are merely deceiving themselves.

“Hopefully, “Grace 1” will be released, along with an official apology. If not, justice will be swift and sure; and will further increase the humiliation of Britain.”

On the same topic, another Iranian English daily Tehran Times, in its Opinion Column, titled: “Seizing Grace 1 tanker: An outright theft with no legal justification”, said: “British Royal Marines seized the Iranian oil supertanker, Grace 1, in Gibraltar on Thursday, saying that the tanker was taking oil to Syria that is in violation of EU sanctions.

“UK is supposed to leave the European Union within four months and in Britain, the top conservative party members seem inclined to get closer to US and drift apart from other European countries.

“In addition, Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt, who are likely to replace Teresa May as Britain’s next prime minister, both have taken a quite aggressive stand against Iran, a policy that seems closer to that of Donald Trump’s rather than to the leaders of other European countries.”

According to Tehran Times: “It would have made much more sense if UK had seized the ship for carrying weapons, but it was merely carrying oil for the 17 million Syrians who are having a fuel crisis and have to stand in fuel stations for several hours before getting a little fuel. Blocking transportation of oil to Syria is an obvious violation of human rights and is against all moral values; specially because the sanctions against transferring oil to Syria are unilateral ones and are not approved by the United Nations.

“On the other hand, it is quite surprising that US and other western countries who send their fighter jets to Syria and Iraq as part of their so called “coalition against terrorism” can spot a fly in Syria’s sky but they never seem to notice the tons of oil that Daesh is moving around. 

“The Syrian nation have to suffer under a cruel siege conducted by Europeans. Posing these sanctions on Syria and preventing the fuel from getting into the country shows the depth of Europeans’ hypocrisy and unveils the true face behind all their seemingly humanitarian gestures.

“Continuing this blockage means that either more Syrians travel to European countries to get rid of the siege, or they start to bear more grudge against the countries that have laid the siege. Therefore, saying that seizing the ship was in breach of European sanctions against Damascus is only a pretext.

On the other hand, the sanctions against Damascus is imposed by the European Union and US, not the UN, so other countries don’t have to observe these sanctions; therefore Iran has done nothing wrong because the EU and US are not allowed to force other countries into following these sanctions; the sanctions are supposed to be followed by the countries who have imposed them, not others, so Iran has not done anything against the international law.”

AS/SS