Iran’s ambitions stem at least in part from how it views itself – as a civilisation in its own right, quite separate from the Arab world. Iranians are very proud of their history. I was struck by an answer that an Iranian minister gave to a question put to him on a BBC programme some years back. He said: “There are really only two civilisations in Asia worth talking about – China and Persia.” That is reflective of how Iranians think. They hanker after their glorious years of empire.
