“If this is true, then all our troubles are over.”

A British businessman is rapidly running out of cash, William Nox D’Arsi, said that when he receives a telegram from Persia 113 years ago, those words say.

Oil was discovered after years of failing under NOX D’Arcei, which were given the rights to hunt for black goods at the turn of the century.

For him, the striking oil was to provide a second luck after making millions from Australian gold.

For the UK, Persia – later to become Iran – and for the rest of the world, it was the moment when the financial and political fate of the Middle East was connected to the West as never before.

The cash problem of NOOM D’Arsi can be solved. But troubles in this area ended.

At the end of this week, although the ministers want to focus on their plans to make it easy to trade at home in front of their industrial strategy published next week, two big questions are huge.

What is the most in conflicts in an important area? And does Britain play a role?

According to a whitehall source, whether you like it or not, “it matters, and it matters to the UK”.

History is frightening. In the early last century, the first discovery of oil going into British coffeers is not just luck.

But Britain’s participation in turning the government in 1922, attacking with Russians during the World War Two, supporting another coup in 1953, then with the US, extending Shah until his exit in 1979, after the unrest of months and increasing protests against their rule. You can see amazing The collection of his departure here.

For decades, “We were all on”, a former senior minister sees.

Modern times and gradual governments are deeply concerned about making atomic bombs about Iran’s ambitions to move rapidly.

Especially by former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, efforts were made to do deals that kept weapons beyond reach. But in Britain itself, there is now intense concern about Iranian activities.

Yesterday, seven people were arrested on suspicion of serious physical damage after assaulting two people outside the Iranian embassy. The Met Police has said that they believe that there was a change among the protesters between supporting and opposing the Iranian monarchy.

Three alleged last month Iranian detectives were charged for planning serious violence Against UK -based journalists.

And the Director General of MI5 said that the UK has responded to 20 Iran -backed plots since the beginning of 2022, which presents possible fatal threats at home.

A source associated with an Iranian opposition group warned the regime, “There is a huge network in the UK that promotes terrorism and extremism – we never allow Russians to get away from it … it is happening on our streets”.

The public focus of the ministers is on diplomacy for now. As usual, it was a suggestion by US President Donald Trump who sent Whitehall into a spin. This time, the perception that the US can help Israel out of Iran’s nuclear features.

Foreign Secretary David Lemi jumped into an aircraft for Washington. Government Emergency Committee, Cobra, was called. The team went to overdrive before another update by Trump.

Actually, he will take a fortnight to think about it.

This left no 10 thinking, “Everyone can breathe – two weeks and the amount of engagement means some tone of optimism – we are just focusing on trying to calm things”, an internal formula said.

David Lami spent more than an hour with Marco Rubio, US State Secretary, and Steve Witchoff, the President’s messenger, leaving with the notion still had a chance for diplomacy, although the threat to joining the US military action is real.

It is worth remembering whether there is a deep disagreement about Trump’s party to help Israel.

As the Foreign Secretary was seeking information from his American hosts, having lunch with President Steve Bannon, the most important Make America Great Again (Maga) Backers, who are pressurizing Trump not to join very loudly.

Diplomacy then went to Geneva, where Lammy and several European colleagues met the Iranian Foreign Minister. He reiterated Iran’s atomic ambitions and concerns about breaking international rules.

The conversation ended with no definite decision on the next trick or talks, but the desire to try. Ultimately, the UK and European push have to talk, trying to stop the war from spreading more widely. But some sources question whether it makes any difference.

“Europe is very irrelevant in all this,” a senior person told me – and the US President also said this loudly.

Trump dismissed diplomatic discussions, saying, “Iran does not want to talk to Europe. They want to talk to us. Europe is not able to help in this one.”

Other sources described diplomacy as a “sticky plaster”, questioning how effective it can be when the Israel is clearly intended to break the status quo, and changing the size of the area, expecting governance in Iran and prevent them from making atomic bombs.

The former senior officer told me, “Israel feels that it is once in a lifetime, it is now or never … it does not represent a long -term solution, but if you are in Tel Aviv then there is a clear repost, ‘Yes, we will still live’.”

Another security source suggested that the UK would not be relevant by “a” propaganda European status “like a teacher in a” a playground in a playground, but can pursue “alignment with Americans for our own difficult interests” instead.

Aligning with the US is often a no-brine for British Prime Ministers.

But a labor Prime Minister aligned with Trump to bomb a country in the Middle East? This is something else.

A former diplomat said that practicality is, “People in Whitehall will be very confused if bombing the Iran will get any better result”, a former diplomat said.

Another source suggests that the UK has not made enough thinking about helping Iran in recent years, with serious political suppression and economic difficulty of about 90 million people: “Britain does not have a strategy or plan for Iran. It looks at Iran from the perspective of Israel or Gaza, but doesn’t look at it in itself, so it is a problem.”

If America had to join with British support in a way or in some other way, what happens next?

The source said: “American can go and attack Fordo (Iran’s nuclear facility which is deeper buried than the channel tunnel), but what if Ikis come out after Iranians?”

Then, there is validity. You do not need to remind me that the Prime Minister used to be a famous lawyer.

Was the UK asked to allow American jets to use the British base in Diego Garcia, or to help the aircraft to fuel fuel on their way for any Iranian goal, the government would like to believe that there is a solid legal argument that justifies the attack.

The Attorney General has expressed concern that there is already a political line on publishing advice with an understanding.

For uninterrupted, it is a very well -worn political track. Opposition parties say that legal advice should be published completely. Governments say no. Lawyers and politicians, who are not giving a real decision, debate in public about it.

Finally, international law is subject to all types of interpretation, describing as a former senior minister “fungus” – in other words, it is far from certainly away.

This time there is already a source described as a “loose blaber” about legal advice.

Finally, the politics of the moment comes first, and the Prime Minister of the day has to be decided.

The political background for no 10 is risky. Labor said with mythology around Tony Blair’s decision to go to Iraq with George Bush, with many people at the modern party as a disaster.

Any decision seen to support the Israeli military action shook a long line of anti -Israeli spirit to the left.

Add to intensive anxiety about what is going on in Gaza right now, and it creates another flashpoint.

Pro -Patalestinian candidates already swiped the seats, and took more than labor in almost general elections.

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Highlighting the plight of Ghazan is clearly not objecting to Israel or American action against Iran.

But the issues can be blurred, and can add the amount of angry interactions inside the party about the Middle East.

During the Iraq struggle, the former senior minister around told me, “It will bother us a lot if you cannot find Americans on our fingers on it”.

But, if the White House asks, “I will barely swallow and say, ‘OK”.

Can you imagine that Sir Kire Stmper has asked Iran to help Trump to help prevent nuclear bombs? Can you imagine that Sir Keir steps into a Middle East struggle if it can be avoided?

The answer of both cannot be the same. The White House has stopped, while Trump has reduced its options, but the US remains an option to join Israel to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.

The UK has heavy interests in the security of Iran and the widespread Middle East – whether oil, trade, intelligence, or military base.

Those questions for Sir Kir can be real very long before.

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