Europe Coughing Up Cash For US Military Gamble In Iran – Analyst

Europeans should ask why they are to pay for an American-Israeli adventure in Iran during a time of unprecedented austerity, political analyst Chris Bambery told RT.

Iran says it will definitely stop oil exports to “certain” European countries, while the decision to cut supplies to further EU states is still in discussion.

This comes as Tehran’s response to an EU oil embargo that was set to come into force on July 1.

It is clear that Tehran has leading European powers like Britain and France in mind among those “certain” countries, says political analyst Chris Bambery, noting well-documented Western concerns of Iranian-directed terrorist attacks in the US and Europe and Tehran’s possession of missiles capable of reaching both.

“The Iranians must understand from recent history that the history of sanctions, like in the case of the former Yugoslavia or Iraq, has been to soften up those countries in preparation for a military assault,” Bambery told RT.

Iran is already surrounded by US military bases, so Tehran is surely feeling the pressure of the recent build-up in the Persian Gulf. The situation is dangerous because of the possibility of accidental clashes like the 1988 incident when a US missile accidentally shot down a Iranian civilian airliner over the Strait of Hormuz. The incident claimed lives of all 290 passengers and crew aboard, and Washington has never apologized for it.

Bambery called on the people of Europe and America to force their governments to pull back and start talking with Iran, instead of imposing sanctions on it.

The events in Libya and now Syria set a vivid example of what awaits the Iranians: “They must feel they are next on the list,” Bambery says.

No matter how many times it was said that the US cannot roll out another war, Bambery says, Israel could still attack Iran, bringing an immediate retaliation from Tehran and creating full-fledged military engagement a reality.

In the meantime, the Iranian oil embargo will deal a low blow to Europe – particularly the crisis-stricken southern states like Greece and Italy, which would suffer the most while an inevitable oil price hike kicks in in the other EU countries.

Europeans would be better off asking their governments why recession-stricken European national economies should support a war with their oil supplier, Bambery concluded.