Those Days Are Long Gone
Britain’s inept decision to enforce sanctions on Iran’s Central Bank resulted in the Iranian parliament’s approval of a legislation to reduce political relations with the UK. It comes as no surprise that the US has also complied with Britain’s recent sanction; a desperate attempt that we as Iranians have been familiar with for the past 32 years and have prepared ourselves for. The worst example of similar measures was during the Iran-Iraq War when America and all the European countries, directly or indirectly, backed Saddam. Moreover, the petro-dollars of the Persian Gulf countries were at Saddam’s disposal. All of this was during a time when Iran’s oil revenue was under $3 billion a year. Yet all those strains did not bring us down.
Today, Iran is an adequately powerful country that can bring down an advanced US drone over the Iranian airspace by using cyber-techniques. By such measures, the US is only adding to its own troubles. No doubt that this also causes troubles for Iran, but we are used to these inconveniences and we have become efficient at dealing with them.
Iran has never welcomed any sanctions; however, its foes who impose these sanctions should understand that they are greatly mistaken. The more they increase pressure on us, the tougher we become. Perhaps if we did not have to deal with all these sanctions, we would achieve more as a country. Yet the most significant outcome of these sanctions and pressures is the fact that we as a nation have become more resilient and determined; attributes that we would have not achieved any other way and which we deeply cherish. The US’ government should stop their arrogant ways because Iran will no longer tolerate its imperialist behavior. Those days are long gone.
If the US is genuinely seeking a peaceful existence alongside Iran, it is taking the wrong route. Why did the US create a virtual embassy for Iranians online? Why do they address Iran in an arrogant tone when they demand that Iran return its drone? If Washington was reasonable, it would first apologize to the Iranian citizens for intruding Iranian airspace. But as it turns out, arrogance is an imperialist trait and it prevents them from acting in a fair, intelligent and logical manner. If they knew how to use diplomacy they would have first expressed regret in their actions. They are aware that they have already burned all the bridges behind them, so they have no way left to retreat.
Surely we are aware that for years we have had difficult relations with the UK, yet alongside France, Italy and Canada, Britain was first in line to express interest in investing in Iran’s market. Now they have proved their incompetence by sanctioning Iran’s Central Bank. The same goes for the US. During the past 30 years the Iranian Central Bank never had direct dealings with its American counterpart yet indirectly, deals were made. American investors are still taking advantage of the current situation, only now with extra effort. This condition brings with it both positives and negatives for Iran. The positive is that it increases Iran’s resilient spirit. The negative is that it makes it difficult for investors to take advantage of Iran’s market; yet there are always ways to go around this and, in so many words, “whenever the door is shut, they will come in through the window.”