Britain and Iran: 100 Years of Oil, Influence, and Strategic Defiance Against Washington

  London’s refusal isn’t just caution—it’s centuries of oil, influence, and strategic calculation. 

Kurdish Policy Analysis

Despite their historic alliance, Britain has refused to participate in a US-led confrontation against Iran, raising eyebrows across the geopolitical world.

President Donald Trump expressed frustration that NATO allies, particularly Britain, have not contributed warships to control the Strait of Hormuz alongside the United States. Historically, Britain has been Washington’s most reliable partner, sharing language, culture, and strategic interests worldwide. Yet today, London is standing aside.

The official explanations are familiar: the ongoing war in Ukraine, the lack of international legitimacy for a war against Iran, domestic economic difficulties, and the absence of direct national interests. But deeper, less-discussed reasons reveal a clash of global ambitions.
Trump’s strategy toward Iran mirrors his approach in Venezuela: regime change to place pro-American leadership in charge and gain control over oil and gas resources. NATO countries, including Britain, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, are unwilling to become instruments in what they see as Washington’s resource-driven imperialist ambitions. The EU’s policy envoy has explicitly stated that Europe will not participate in US operations to open the Strait of Hormuz, citing the risk of escalating conflict with Iran.

Historically, Britain’s ties to Iran run deeper than many realize. As the first colonial power to establish influence in Iran, Britain discovered the first Middle Eastern oil in Masjed Soleiman, Khuzestan, in 1908. In 1901, William Knox de Arcy negotiated a 60-year oil concession with the Qajar Shah, granting the British exclusive exploration rights in exchange for cash, shares, and a fraction of future profits. This monopoly led to the creation of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and set the template for foreign exploitation of Iranian resources—a pattern that continues today in the region, including Kurdish territories.

Britain’s political influence extended beyond economics. After the Constitutional Revolution in 1905, London sought to replace the Qajar dynasty with a modern, pro-Western regime to secure long-term access to Iranian wealth. This led to the rise of Reza Shah and later his son until the 1979 revolution. Simultaneously, Russia maintained influence in northern Iran, creating a delicate balance of foreign control. Agreements between Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt during World War II ensured Iran would remain intact post-war, though concessions were made behind the scenes regarding oil and resource control.

Today, Britain sees Iran as within its historical sphere of influence. Unlike the US and Israel, which aim to topple the Iranian regime at all costs—potentially dividing the country—Britain prioritizes preserving Iran as a single, unified state to safeguard its access to Iranian oil and gas. London’s reluctance to join Washington’s plans is not simply caution; it is a strategic defense of long-term economic and geopolitical interests.

The coming weeks will reveal how these competing visions unfold, but one thing is clear: the war over Iran is as much about controlling resources and influence as it is about ideology or security.

Trump's remarks reflect disappointment that NATO countries, especially Britain, have not cooperated in the fight against Iran by not sending warships to take the Strait of Hormuz out of Iran's hands with the United States. After World War II, Britain was the most trusted ally of the United States in all wars. In addition to being in NATO, they share common language and interests in most parts of the world.

The obvious reasons for not cooperating with the US and Israel in the war against Iran are the war in Ukraine, lack of legitimacy of war, economic difficulties and lack of national interests in this war Spain, Portugal, Italy and above all Britain know that Trump wants to seize oil and gas resources around the world and reduce or eliminate their imperialist colonial influence, as he openly said after the capture of the Venezuelan president Again.

 Trump has the same goal with Iran as he achieved in Venezuela: to overthrow his regime and put his own people in charge of Iran and become a partner in Iran's oil, gas and natural resources The existence of the war in Ukraine, lack of legitimacy of war, economic difficulties and lack of national interests in this war, but the hidden reasons for not cooperating with NATO countries for the war against Iran They know that Trump wants to seize the oil and gas resources of the world, and reduce the influence and interests of European colonial-imperialist countries, as Trump openly said after the capture of the Venezuelan president. In Iran, Trump has openly stated that he wants three leaders in Iran to have a hand in determining and like Venezuela to take over Iran's oil and natural resources,

So NATO countries are not ready to become soldiers to achieve Trump's dreams against their interests The EU's policy envoy said it would not participate in the opening of the Strait of Hormuz with the United States to prevent Iran from taking control of merchant and military ships That now Trap is working on them not to fight back.

The question is, why don't the Britain participate in the war? Unlike all other US wars, Britain has always been the first country to support the United States. Historically, Britain was the first colonial country to have influence in Iran for more than 150 years, and the first oil discovery in the Middle East was made by the British in 1908 in the Masjed Suleiman area of ​​ Khuzestan.

Earlier, in 1901, William Knox de Arcy negotiated 60-year oil concessions with Muzaffar al-Din Shah Qajar, granting the British exclusive rights to explore for oil throughout much of Iran in exchange for £20,000 in cash, £20,000 in shares and 16% of future net profits They monopolized Iran which led to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company.

The oil policy of the region and those who control the oil and gas resources of Kurdistan have repeated the same work of the Qajars in looting and wasting the country's wealth for their own benefit They signed oil deals with foreign companies and Turkey, again with the difference that the Qajar kings received 20,000 pounds in cash with only 16% profit from oil sales.

Since the first decade of the last century, after the failure of the Constitutional Revolution in Iran in 1905, Britain has been thinking of replacing the Qajar nobility with a bourgeois dictatorship in order to prepare Iranian society for a new economic and political era For this political purpose, Britain ignored the 60-year treaty with the Qajars, because it knew that corrupt and cheap sellers could not survive with the old nobility, so to protect its interests for longer He was made king of Iran in 1925 and helped to create a modern bourgeois Iran. Reza Shah continued until 1941 and then his son until 1979.

Along with British influence in Iran, especially in the southern part bordering Iraq and the Gulf countries, which were its colonies, the Russians had their influence in northern Iran to extend their sphere of influence in southern Russia, which included the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Some Iranian sources mention an agreement between Stalin and Churchill in 1943 that Iran would not be divided after World War II. Roosevelt and Stalin. Of course, the collapse of the Kurdistan Republic and Azerbaijan was obviously due to this agreement that Russia was promised a share of Iranian oil and gas in exchange for this agreement, but after the fall of the Comrades and the end of World War II.

For the current situation in Iran, two world powers in two different directions on the future of Iran, especially Western powers, which are the direction and line of Britain, first of all other European imperialist countries such as France, Spain and Italy.

The British consider Iran as their zone of influence with the Gulf countries and historically consider it their right to be the first beneficiary of Iranian resources. In order to get the most out of Iran, Britain wants to remain one piece.

The US and Israel want to overthrow the regime at any cost, even if it is to divide Iran. The important thing is to take over Iranian oil and gas, especially in the south The British in Iran, the Gulf and the whole region forever, which can not accept, so not only unable to help the United States, but may even agree with the Russians to divide their influence among themselves as 100 years ago. The Iranian war, the war of interests of countries will continue on part of Iran and in the coming weeks it will be clear who lost and who won.

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