USA-Iran Tension/Analysis

Britain's raising shipping warning in Persian Gulf follows U.S. policy towards Iran: scholar

  • English

Shotlist


FILE: London, U.K. - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of U.K. national flag atop Tower of London

San Francisco, USA - July 11, 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Banafsheh Keynoush, independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies (starting with shot 1)(partially overlaid with shot 3)(ending with shots 4-5):
"Well, I think that the U.K. is definitely following the general U.S. policy trends on Iran at the moment, and at least that is how Tehran is perceiving the UK action, and its drive to push forward with the sort of harassment that happened in the Persian Gulf waters is sort of an attempt to build a wedge between the U.K. and the U.S., to signal to the UK that it really does not desire confrontation with the U.K. but that it’s ready to challenge it and then to measure the U.K. response and see if the U.K. will take diplomatic steps to sort of deescalate tensions with Tehran and help bring Washington in line in that regard as well.”
++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++
3. Animation of shipping route of oil tanker
++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++

FILE: Washington, D.C., USA - Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
4. U.S. national flag
5. Various of White House

San Francisco, USA - July 11, 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Banafsheh Keynoush, independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies (partially overlaid with shots 7-11):
"Internally, there’s a great deal of division as to how to respond to basically the attempt by the U.K. naval forces to enter actually an Iranian-led oil tanker in Gibraltar last week on fourth of July. And so there’s a great deal of pressure on President Hassan Rohani to be harsh and to be emphatic that Iran will not allow any incursions near its waters. Iran is also suspicious that these incursions may have some intelligence goals as well, to gather intelligence from its naval coast. So as far as Iran is concerned, I think there’s a great deal of fear about and divisions about how to respond, but it comes across as a very discomforting measure to the rest of the world.”

++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++
FILE: London, U.K. - 2017 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of U.K. parliament building, U.K. national flags

FILE: London, U.K. - 2017 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of traffic outside Big Ben
9. Big Ben

FILE: London, UK - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. U.K. national flag atop Tower of London

FILE: Edinburgh, UK - April, 2019 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Traffic
++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++

FILE: Edinburgh, UK - April, 2019 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of traffic, pedestrians

San Francisco, USA - July 11, 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Animation of location of Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Bab Al-Mandab
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Banafsheh Keynoush, independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies (starting with shot 13):
"Well, we have history of this happening, more or less not along the same line, but during the Iran-Iraq War U.S.-flagged oil tankers started navigating through the Persian Gulf in order to secure navigation. So I’m not surprised that this decision is being made, and that ultimately with the right strategic thinking a level of coalition might build up to contain Iran, and I think that it may happen, but we will have to wait and see what the Iranian response to it will be.”

FILE: Berlin, Germany - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Reichstag building, German national flags
16. Various of Brandenburg Gate

FILE: Heidelberg, Germany - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
17. Traffic on street

FILE: Paris, France - March 26-27, 2019 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
18. Various of Arc de Triomphe, national flag of France, traffic

FILE: Paris, France - Oct 30, 2017 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
19. Eiffel Tower

Storyline


U.K.'s raising its threat warning level for British ships in Iranian waters to the highest level follows U.S. policy towards the Middle East nation, said a U.S. scholar on Thursday.

Banafsheh Keynoush, an independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies, made the remarks at a China Global Television Network (CGTN) program, while explaining the implications of Britain's decision.

The step taken by the U.K. on Tuesday came amid escalating tension in the Persian Gulf region while Iran is testing U.K.'s resolve as well, Keynoush said.

"Well, I think that the U.K. is definitely following the general U.S. policy trends on Iran at the moment, and at least that is how Tehran is perceiving the U.K. action, and its drive to push forward with the sort of harassment that happened in the Persian Gulf waters is sort of an attempt to build a wedge between the U.K. and the U.S., to signal to the U.K. that it really does not desire confrontation with the U.K. but that it’s ready to challenge it and then to measure the U.K. response and see if the U.K. will take diplomatic steps to sort of deescalate tensions with Tehran and help bring Washington in line in that regard as well,” she said.

Earlier on Thursday, Britain's Ministry of Defence said that Iranian boats tried to impede a British oil tanker near the Gulf, before being driven off by a Royal Navy ship. But later, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) denied the accusation.

Keynoush said the opinions also divided in Iran on how to respond to U.K,'s seizure of the Iranian oil tanker on July 4.

"Internally, there’s a great deal of division as to how to respond to basically the attempt by the U.K. naval forces to enter actually an Iranian-led oil tanker in Gibraltar last week on fourth of July. And so there’s a great deal of pressure on President Hassan Rohani to be harsh and to be emphatic that Iran will not allow any incursions near its waters. Iran is also suspicious that these incursions may have some intelligence goals as well, to gather intelligence from its naval coast. So as far as Iran is concerned, I think there’s a great deal of fear about and divisions about how to respond, but it comes across as a very discomforting measure to the rest of the world,” she said.

A U.S. proposal to put together an international coalition in Iran's backyard to ensure freedom of navigation is likely to be inked by parties involved as it had happened in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. according to the scholar.

"Well, we have history of this happening, more or less not along the same line, but during the Iran-Iraq War U.S.-flagged oil tankers started navigating through the Persian Gulf in order to secure navigation. So I’m not surprised that this decision is being made, and that ultimately with the right strategic thinking a level of coalition might build up to contain Iran, and I think that it may happen, but we will have to wait and see what the Iranian response to it will be,” she said.

The scholar has also believed that Iran is also make attempts to bring three European partners to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - British, Germany and France, to one side of the negotiation table while the U.S. on the other side.

DOWNLOAD
  • ID : 8115802
  • Dateline : July 11, 2019/File
  • Location : United States
  • Category : conflicts, war and peace
  • Duration : 2'56
  • Audio Language : English/Nats
  • Source : China Central Television (CCTV),China Global Television Network (CGTN)
  • Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland
  • Published : 2019-07-12 11:51
  • Last Modified : 2019-07-12 15:50:00
  • Version : 4

USA-Iran Tension/Analysis

Britain's raising shipping warning in Persian Gulf follows U.S. policy towards Iran: scholar

Dateline : July 11, 2019/File

Location : United States

Duration : 2'56

  • English


FILE: London, U.K. - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Various of U.K. national flag atop Tower of London

San Francisco, USA - July 11, 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Banafsheh Keynoush, independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies (starting with shot 1)(partially overlaid with shot 3)(ending with shots 4-5):
"Well, I think that the U.K. is definitely following the general U.S. policy trends on Iran at the moment, and at least that is how Tehran is perceiving the UK action, and its drive to push forward with the sort of harassment that happened in the Persian Gulf waters is sort of an attempt to build a wedge between the U.K. and the U.S., to signal to the UK that it really does not desire confrontation with the U.K. but that it’s ready to challenge it and then to measure the U.K. response and see if the U.K. will take diplomatic steps to sort of deescalate tensions with Tehran and help bring Washington in line in that regard as well.”
++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++
3. Animation of shipping route of oil tanker
++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++

FILE: Washington, D.C., USA - Date Unknown (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
4. U.S. national flag
5. Various of White House

San Francisco, USA - July 11, 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Banafsheh Keynoush, independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies (partially overlaid with shots 7-11):
"Internally, there’s a great deal of division as to how to respond to basically the attempt by the U.K. naval forces to enter actually an Iranian-led oil tanker in Gibraltar last week on fourth of July. And so there’s a great deal of pressure on President Hassan Rohani to be harsh and to be emphatic that Iran will not allow any incursions near its waters. Iran is also suspicious that these incursions may have some intelligence goals as well, to gather intelligence from its naval coast. So as far as Iran is concerned, I think there’s a great deal of fear about and divisions about how to respond, but it comes across as a very discomforting measure to the rest of the world.”

++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++
FILE: London, U.K. - 2017 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Various of U.K. parliament building, U.K. national flags

FILE: London, U.K. - 2017 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of traffic outside Big Ben
9. Big Ben

FILE: London, UK - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. U.K. national flag atop Tower of London

FILE: Edinburgh, UK - April, 2019 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Traffic
++ SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE ++

FILE: Edinburgh, UK - April, 2019 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of traffic, pedestrians

San Francisco, USA - July 11, 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
13. Animation of location of Strait of Hormuz, Strait of Bab Al-Mandab
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Banafsheh Keynoush, independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies (starting with shot 13):
"Well, we have history of this happening, more or less not along the same line, but during the Iran-Iraq War U.S.-flagged oil tankers started navigating through the Persian Gulf in order to secure navigation. So I’m not surprised that this decision is being made, and that ultimately with the right strategic thinking a level of coalition might build up to contain Iran, and I think that it may happen, but we will have to wait and see what the Iranian response to it will be.”

FILE: Berlin, Germany - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
15. Reichstag building, German national flags
16. Various of Brandenburg Gate

FILE: Heidelberg, Germany - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
17. Traffic on street

FILE: Paris, France - March 26-27, 2019 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
18. Various of Arc de Triomphe, national flag of France, traffic

FILE: Paris, France - Oct 30, 2017 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
19. Eiffel Tower


U.K.'s raising its threat warning level for British ships in Iranian waters to the highest level follows U.S. policy towards the Middle East nation, said a U.S. scholar on Thursday.

Banafsheh Keynoush, an independent scholar of international affairs and Middle Eastern studies, made the remarks at a China Global Television Network (CGTN) program, while explaining the implications of Britain's decision.

The step taken by the U.K. on Tuesday came amid escalating tension in the Persian Gulf region while Iran is testing U.K.'s resolve as well, Keynoush said.

"Well, I think that the U.K. is definitely following the general U.S. policy trends on Iran at the moment, and at least that is how Tehran is perceiving the U.K. action, and its drive to push forward with the sort of harassment that happened in the Persian Gulf waters is sort of an attempt to build a wedge between the U.K. and the U.S., to signal to the U.K. that it really does not desire confrontation with the U.K. but that it’s ready to challenge it and then to measure the U.K. response and see if the U.K. will take diplomatic steps to sort of deescalate tensions with Tehran and help bring Washington in line in that regard as well,” she said.

Earlier on Thursday, Britain's Ministry of Defence said that Iranian boats tried to impede a British oil tanker near the Gulf, before being driven off by a Royal Navy ship. But later, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) denied the accusation.

Keynoush said the opinions also divided in Iran on how to respond to U.K,'s seizure of the Iranian oil tanker on July 4.

"Internally, there’s a great deal of division as to how to respond to basically the attempt by the U.K. naval forces to enter actually an Iranian-led oil tanker in Gibraltar last week on fourth of July. And so there’s a great deal of pressure on President Hassan Rohani to be harsh and to be emphatic that Iran will not allow any incursions near its waters. Iran is also suspicious that these incursions may have some intelligence goals as well, to gather intelligence from its naval coast. So as far as Iran is concerned, I think there’s a great deal of fear about and divisions about how to respond, but it comes across as a very discomforting measure to the rest of the world,” she said.

A U.S. proposal to put together an international coalition in Iran's backyard to ensure freedom of navigation is likely to be inked by parties involved as it had happened in the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. according to the scholar.

"Well, we have history of this happening, more or less not along the same line, but during the Iran-Iraq War U.S.-flagged oil tankers started navigating through the Persian Gulf in order to secure navigation. So I’m not surprised that this decision is being made, and that ultimately with the right strategic thinking a level of coalition might build up to contain Iran, and I think that it may happen, but we will have to wait and see what the Iranian response to it will be,” she said.

The scholar has also believed that Iran is also make attempts to bring three European partners to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action - British, Germany and France, to one side of the negotiation table while the U.S. on the other side.

ID : 8115802

Published : 2019-07-12 11:51

Last Modified : 2019-07-12 15:50:00

Source : China Central Television (CCTV),China Global Television Network (CGTN)

Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland

More



Login
Username
Password
code
Sign In
OK