Trump has been proved right about Iran
In Iran, a revolt has erupted in up to 100 towns and cities. The uprising is considered so serious that the regime shut down the internet for five days.
From Britain and Europe, however, there has been only the most lukewarm response. There are two reasons for this. The first is a refusal to accept that Iran poses the threat that it does. Partly this is because, rightly or wrongly, people still feel taken for a ride over the Iraq war. And partly it’s because the most immediate threat posed by Iran is to Israel and people either don’t care about Israel’s fate or assume it will take care of Iran by itself.
Many have also been fooled by the urbane face of Iran’s foreign minister, Mohammad Zarif, or its president, Hassan Rouhani. Yet the only person who matters is the implacable religious fanatic who controls Iran, the supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
So Britain has looked the other way, even when its soldiers were being killed in Iraq by Iranian roadside bombs. When President Trump took the US out of the nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions, Britain along with the EU tried every ruse to undermine sanctions and continue to trade with Tehran.
Which leads to the second reason for the indifferent response to this revolt. It has been provoked by the damage done to Iran by the reimposed sanctions. And among the legions of Trump-haters there is absolutely nothing this president could ever do for which he would be given any credit.
To read my whole Times column (£), please click here.
