Iran has come in from the cold

The nuclear deal last week may deliver a new ally for the US, but a resurgent Iran will change the balance of power in the Gulf

Javad Zarifat (second left), Iran’s foreign minister, looks on as USSecretary of State John Kerry (far right) shakes hands with Philip Hammond,Britain’s Foreign Secretary, at the talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, last weekPicture: Getty
Javad Zarifat (second left), Iran’s foreign minister, looks on as USSecretary of State John Kerry (far right) shakes hands with Philip Hammond,Britain’s Foreign Secretary, at the talks in Lausanne, Switzerland, last weekPicture: Getty

Theocracies tend to project their power and influence in the strangest ways. From

local mystic rituals to get the natives onside, to subtle proselytising, to overt

attempts to convert what my children would describe as “randomers”.

When I was a little boy, ...