When you think of the world’s trouble spots, Iran is pretty much always near the top of the list.
The Middle Eastern country has had, it’s fair to say, a rocky relationship with the West.
Diplomatic relations crumbled after the 1979 revolution.
Later, we saw the Iranian Embassy siege in London, the death sentence imposed on Salman Rushdie, and our ambassador turned away.
But despite our rocky relationship, matters improved.
In 2014 the Iranian Embassy in London was restored.
The two countries took their first steps towards diplomatic relations.
And in 2015, our embassy in Tehran reopened.
It is a fragile, delicate peace.
But now we are approaching crisis again, US pressure, Iran’s strategic importance and its relationship with Russia are all factors.
As is its strong sense of national identity.
Historically, its relationship with the world has been delicate.
So it is important to tread carefully. No-one wants this situation to escalate.
Not the Iranians, not us.
The difficulty is the backdrop of diplomacy at the moment.
The US and Russia are players in this game.
And their leaders are not exactly stable.
Donald Trump has regularly exhibited a gung-ho approach to foreign policy.
Look at his approach to Afghanistan and the threats made on the Korean peninsula.
He is matched in his aggressive approach by Russia’s Putin.
Syria was the last time the two eyed each other across the board.
A vital factor of UK diplomacy - and our role in world affairs - is to offer some balance.
So next week when - as looks likely - Boris Johnson takes over as Prime Minister the world will hold its breath.
This will be the first big test for a new PM.
This time, restraint, subtle diplomacy, and intelligence are all needed.
We hope Mr Johnson is up to it.
Save our saviours
This week we bring you the chilling story of an ambulance worker who has seen three of his colleagues take their own lives.
Everyone has their breaking point, say the unions.
And the conditions our emergency services work under have to be addressed. But what is also a factor is the abuse paramedics have to put up with.
It is unthinkable that people here to save lives are subjected to verbal and physical assaults.
Those who are carrying out these vile attacks must be hit with the strongest penalties. And our emergency services given protection they deserve.
