Seizure in Nigeria Leads to Fallout with Gambia

Following Nigeria's seizure of an illegal consignment of arms and heroin originating from Tehran, the nation of Gambia has reportedly severed ties with the Islamic Republic. The shipment, which Nigerian authorities referred to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in accordance to binding international sanctions, was apparently headed towards the Gambian capital of Banjul. Gambia has given Iranian diplomats forty-eight hours to promptly leave the country. This deals the latest diplomatic blow to the Islamic Republic in its quest to increase its presence in Africa. In March of 2009, Morocco also cut diplomatic ties with the regime, stemming from what the kingdom characterized as Shia interference in the predominantly Sunni country.

Iranian relations have not fared much better elsewhere as of late. In May, The P5+1 countries balked at a nuclear fuel-for-uranium deal that was brokered by Brazil and Turkey on the country's behalf. (A similar deal put forward by the West was rejected by the Islamic Republic only months earlier, when its total amount of enriched uranium was considerably by IAEA estimates). A recent scuffle at France's embassy in Tehran -- where French diplomats were allegedly struck by Iranian security forces -- and the arrest and espionage charges leveled at two German journalists by Iranian authorities have only further strained tensions between Europe and Iran.

In June, Iran was also denied coveted membership to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), where it has been relegated to an observer state since 2005. This represents a growing chasm between Iran and Russia and China, who are dominant powers in the intergovernmental military pact. Both permanent members of the Security Council incidentally went on to support a fourth round UNSC of Iranian sanctions only a month later.

And unease persists within Iran's Foreign Ministry, as well. Since 2009's highly-contested presidential election, there has been a steady stream of diplomatic resignations from several Iranian embassies. The most recent came only two months ago when Hossein Alizadeh, Iran's former number-two in Finland, quit his post to protest the illegitimacy of Ahmadinejad's government and pledge support to the Green movement. He is currently seeking asylum in Helsinki.