Iranian protest against the establishment of a French military base in the Gulf is the latest incident in Iran's sideshow standoff with France, Rasha Saad reports Last week Iran officially informed the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of its disapproval for the establishment of a French military base in the Gulf, just across the water from the Islamic republic, Iranian analyst Mohamed Sadeq Al-Husseini told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Iran informed UAE officials that this move does not help in maintaining mutual confidence and overshadows 'regional security', which is an issue regularly discussed and revised by both countries [Iran and the UAE]," Al-Husseini told the Weekly. He argued that the UAE ought to have consulted with Iran before agreeing on the French base. According to the 1983 international waters law, Al-Husseini added, the Gulf is considered a locked body of water, and thus any presence of foreign troops or even commercial movements should be with the consent of all neighbours. Accordingly, Al-Husseini considers the UAE-French deal "a violation of international law and a unilateral decision that excludes Iran". Iran was even more vocal to France. The Islamic republic summoned the French ambassador to protest against the move. "We are against military expansion in the region and we think the presence of foreign forces will not contribute to stability but on the contrary, will be a factor of insecurity and instability," read a statement issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry. Against the backdrop of strained relations between Iran and France since French President Nicolas Sarkozy took office, Al-Husseini insists that Iran has been a vocal critic of the presence of foreign forces in the Gulf region, notably the US military, which has bases in several countries, including Iraq. The French base, due to become operational in 2009 and housing 400 to 500 personnel, will allow French forces to remain permanently within reach of sea lanes through which over a third of global oil shipments pass. Under the current pact, French navy ships make around 30 stops per year in the UAE, while the French air force sends fighter pilots there twice a year on training courses. The first sign that Paris was looking to boost its military presence in the Gulf came in September when it announced plans to train officers from the region starting in 2011, and to open a branch of its prestigious Saint Cyr military academy in Qatar. France is a leading arms supplier to the UAE, and the two countries are linked by a 1995 defence pact under which their military chiefs meet once a year and their respective armies conduct around 25 joint manoeuvres per year. Their next major joint exercise, dubbed "Gulf Shield", starts next month involving 1,400 troops from the UAE and Qatar and 600 from France. The motives behind the UAE-France military deal are much debated. French Defence Minister Herve Morin said the chief purpose of the base would be to provide support for "the military means that we regularly deploy in the countries of the Gulf". But he also described it as part of a "strategic partnership" that would allow France to "take part in the stabilisation of the region". "This is a policy intended to ensure that France is present everywhere it is supposed to be present, in a region of the world where major strategic issues are at stake," Morin said. According to the right-wing French newspaper Le Figaro, the decision is politically and strategically motivated. "Politically, this is a powerful decision, especially at this time of diplomatic confrontation with Iran, a matter on which France has hardened its stance since Nicolas Sarkozy came to power," the editorial said. "Strategically it is just as important. In the event of a conflict in the region, France will find itself almost automatically involved in the battle." Le Figaro warned, however, that the new French base could find itself "a target for terrorist attacks, or Iranian missiles" in the event of a flare-up of violence in the region, predicting that Paris would be seeking firm security guarantees. On the Arab side, commentators see the deal as related to the desire of Arab Gulf countries to diversify their alliances. However, according to Gamal Salama, a specialist on Iran, this move would have never materialised without the consent of the US. Salama explains that the neo-cons in the Bush administration encourage the presence of French and NATO forces in the Gulf in case the policies they formulated and implemented under the Bush administration are overturned with a new US presidency. Salama, among other analysts, also believes that the move from the UAE was motivated by the Gulf countries' traditional fear of Iranian power. This view accords with recent missives coming from the Gulf against US action on Iran, knowing that Iran's easiest means of retaliation is to hit US bases in Gulf countries. Al-Husseini, who as advisor to former reformist president Mohamed Khatami toured the Gulf countries and heard promises from Gulf leaders they will not support any aggression against Iran, nonetheless believes that the UAE came under pressure to agree on the military base. "The Gulf countries are not hypocritical in their promises and relieving words to Iran. Iran knows that these countries are against further polarisation or war in the Gulf area and are for the development of the region, but that sometimes they are weak regarding Western pressures," Al-Husseini said. "Iran thus has issues with the enemy [Israel, the US and in this context France] and not the friend [Arab Gulf countries] even if this friend is not especially astute." Tensions have been mounting over France's tougher line on the controversial Iranian nuclear drive. Iran accused France of adopting an "unfriendly" position in Tehran's nuclear row with the West, and said the military base France is setting up in the Gulf would harm peace in the region. Since Sarkozy's election in May, France has considerably hardened its position and has called for the UN Security Council to impose a third round of sanctions to punish Iran for its failure to heed ultimatums to suspend uranium enrichment activities. Paris also led a separate push for further sanctions by the 27- member European Union. "We have so far acted with self-restraint, but if the French stance continues along these lines we will revise our approach to them," the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, describing the French position as "irrational and unrealistic". Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned in September, after France's foreign minister said the world should prepare for a war with Iran, that France's new tougher position could hit economic relations between the two countries. Recently two parliamentary committees in Iran discussed reducing economic ties, particularly in the motor industry. France, however, seems ready to pay the price of its allying with the tough US stance on Iran. French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said his country is willing to encourage French firms to limit their dealings with Tehran. Informed sources confirm that the French Foreign Ministry is currently advising companies not to invest in Iran -- particularly companies in strategic sectors such as energy -- as part of the new aggressive diplomatic stand.
