The fragile diplomacy between Washington and Tehran appears to be unravelling, with British officials cautioning that Donald Trump’s much-touted nuclear deal with Iran is far from a done deal. Whitehall sources have confirmed that no final agreement has been reached, despite the US president’s claims of progress. The warning comes as European allies grow increasingly anxious about the implications of a unilateral American approach that could destabilise the region and leave ordinary Iranians paying the price.
For the working families in Manchester and Middlesbrough who still remember the cost of the Iraq war, the spectre of another Middle Eastern quagmire is a sobering one. But the immediate economic ripple effects are already being felt. Oil prices have seesawed on the back of the uncertainty, and any disruption to global supply chains will inevitably hit household budgets. A spike at the pump means less money for groceries, rent and the weekly shop. It is the kind of kitchen-table calculus that rarely features in diplomatic cables.
The lack of clarity is also raising questions about trade. UK exporters, particularly those in manufacturing and services, had hoped that a stable Iran deal would open new markets. Now, with the prospect of renewed sanctions and political instability, those opportunities are evaporating. The North East, still recovering from the loss of its steel and shipbuilding industries, can ill afford another blow to its export base.
Meanwhile, the human cost is mounting. The Iranian people, already battered by inflation and unemployment, face further hardship if snapback sanctions are reimposed. But the crisis also threatens to exacerbate the regional refugee situation, a burden that falls disproportionately on working-class communities in host countries.
Union leaders have been quick to weigh in. Frances O’Grady, TUC General Secretary, said: “Working people in Britain cannot afford another foreign policy disaster that leads to higher prices, job losses and a fresh wave of austerity. The government must press for a transparent, multilateral deal that prioritises peace and economic stability, not bombast.”
The real economy, that messy, tangible world of wages, bills and precarious employment, is once again being held hostage by the geopolitical games of the powerful. Until a clear and fair agreement is reached, it is the ordinary citizens on both sides of the negotiating table who will foot the bill.
