Since its misfired election last June, Iran
increasingly resembles a curled-up hedgehog: preoccupied with its own
difficulties, while projecting general hostility to the outside world. I
only hope the impression of introversion is true, because Tehran has
been the target of some deeply misguided words, and perhaps also deeds,
in recent days. Just now, it would be better if Iran were not listening.
From Washington come reports that the US is
sending Patriot missiles to the Gulf States, and keeping two warships in
the region capable of shooting down Iranian missiles. Now Patriots are
neither state-of-the-art nor offensive weapons and deploying two
warships is hardly the most aggressive stance a superpower can take. But
the deployments – or their threat, it is not entirely clear which –
hardly send a friendly message, especially not as “spun” to the US
media. They speak of contingency planning and expecting the worst.
