Mahmoud Ahmadinjad can't keep blaming the west forever

Telegraph
Con Coughlin

Con Coughlin, the Telegraph's executive foreign editor, is a world renowned expert on the Middle East and Islamic terrorism. He is the author of several critically-acclaimed books. His new book, Khomeini's Ghost has just been published by Macmillan.

No surprises there, then. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad marks his inauguration for a second four year term with his customary swipe at foreign interference in Iran’s affairs.

The events of the past two months have once again highlighted the deep-seated paranoia that exists within the higher echelons of the Islamic republic about Western plots to overthrow the mullahs. British diplomats were expelled and British workers at our embassy iin Tehran subjected to harassment over claims that we were somehow responsible for the nationwide anti- government protests that erupted following June’s presidential election, which most Iranians continue to believe was rigged in Mr Ahmadinejad’s favour.

Whenever the regime faces difficulty it invaraibly blames the problem on the West, which is precisely what Mr Ahmadinejad did yesterday.

But enriching uranium illegally, which is what the mullahs are doing at Natanz, is an Iranian problem, not a Western one, and unless Mr Ahmadinejad addresses the problem soon, he could have a whole lot more reasons for worrying about what the West might do to his country - a new round of economic sanctions being just the first step.