The Rise And Rise Of Iran

You know all those nice articles people like Karim Sadjadpour keep on writing in western newspapers, about how eventually Iran is going to follow the Arabs in revolt because the regime in Tehran is terrible? Well keep dreaming! Argues today’s Daily Star editorial:

The truth about the Iranian regime is that it has a coherent and long-term agenda for expanding its influence throughout the region, and it pursues that agenda single-mindedly. Regardless of how one feels about the relative qualities of that influence, it must be granted that Tehran has done a remarkable job of achieving so many of its objectives in the 32 years since the clerical regime emerged — and instantly became a bogeyman to many Arab and Western countries.

In reality, the jury is still out on the matter, and the truth is lost somewhere between Sadjadpour’s wishful thinking and the Daily Star’s dark outlook. Only time can really tell what the Iranian people are up to..