Several lawmakers have talked about the future of Iran ties with the UK and the EU in a post-Brexit world.
The British people voted 52%-48% in favor of leaving the European Union in a referendum last Thursday, putting an end to a 43-year membership and delivering the biggest blow since World War Two to the European project of forging greater unity.
The fallout reverberated through financial markets, with the pound falling to its lowest level in 31 years and the stocks on world markets taking hits.
Though not unexpected, the unbelievable vote has created turmoil and confusion in the once Great Britain and left officials confused about how to handle the political and economic fallout of the exit vote.
No Sea Change
Mohammad Ebrahim Rezaei, a principlist lawmaker, told ICANA on Tuesday he believes Britain's departure will not affect Tehran-London relations.
"We should not expect any change in relations, because the UK is a close ally of the US."
However, Rezaei, a member of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said the vote will positively affect Iran-EU ties.
"Since the UK was (almost always) championing the US [hostile] policies against Iran in Brussels, its exit from the bloc will help improve Tehran's interaction with the EU."
Pointing to another reason for his optimism regarding improvement of Iran-EU relations, Rezaei said the outcome of the referendum would undermine cohesion among EU member states and limit the bloc's global influence.
"Its members should now independently make efforts to strengthen their ties with non-EU states," he said. "They will be more inclined to boost interaction with Iran. Better prospects await Tehran-Brussels relations."
EU officials are concerned that the UK decision to part ways will trigger a domino effect, encouraging other members to hold similar polls which may finally lead to the collapse of the union.
Alireza Rahimi, a reformist legislator and member of the parliamentary commission, maintains that the fallout will evidently impact Tehran-London relations.
He says the outcome of the referendum will help promote Iran ties with Britain in the economic sphere.
"With the departure, Britain will have more independence and seek to expand relations with non-EU countries. This will positively affect Tehran-London economic cooperation."
Rahimi said the result of the Brexit vote will further increase motivation in the two capitals to restore full political relations. However, unlike Rezaei, Rahimi said he believes the historic development will not affect Tehran-Brussels ties, because the UK "had no role in relations" between Iran and the 28-nation club.
Iran-Britain ties soured in 2011, when Britain decided to impose sanctions on the Central Bank of Iran, after which angry Iranian protesters stormed its embassy in downtown Tehran.
The two sides later embarked on diplomatic efforts to mend ties and in August 2015, they reopened embassies. However, they have yet to appoint new ambassadors.
Political, Economic Chaos
To let the UK get out of the EU, London and Brussels need to enter into two-year exit negotiations to form a new relationship.
A visibly disappointed Prime Minister David Cameron resigned on Friday and refused to trigger the formal process of leaving the EU. He said he will stay on in a caretaker role until the Conservative Party elects his successor in about three months.
Many European leaders have demanded quicker action by Britain, the EU's second largest economy after Germany, to resolve the political and economic chaos unleashed by its vote to leave the bloc.
Cameron headed to Brussels on Tuesday for an EU summit, while the other 27 leaders will meet for the first time without him today to plan their next moves.
