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In the past three weeks I have had the slightly hectic but immense pleasure of visiting Tehran, Damascus and New York – from the Axis of Evil to the Great Satan, as they sometimes refer to each other. From speaking to politically plugged-in people and ordinary citizens in these three wonderful cities, I can confidently announce that we are all in much greater trouble than appears to be the case on the surface.

A catastrophe awaits us all, if immoderation prevails in these three lands, where American, Arab and Iranian politicians seem to be driven by a potentially devastating combination of righteousness, resentment, resistance and revenge. The political certitude,...