Iran’s truculent opacity about building a nuclear-weapons capability, along with the bomb attacks and these new reports, demonstrate just how badly Tehran’s decision-makers have misunderstood their best path to influence. Iran aspires to be a regional power, but wariness of “Persian” ambition is an ancient reflex in this region. To project its influence and gain stature among its neighbours, then, Iran’s best tools would surely be those of 'soft power' – trade, cultural ties and cooperation – and not the violent and subversive approaches it seems to prefer.
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