Trump has always had poor impulse control but we are moving into a new phase with F-bombs, real bombs and threats to entire civilisations becoming daily occurrences.

“They’re scum…they’re led by sick people and they’re vicious, violent people. There’s something wrong with them. They’re cuckoo. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.” This is what Trump said after bombing Iran on 8 July and threatening to tear up the MOU.

What has largely been left unreported after Trump’s outburst at the NATO Summit in Ankara is the elegant response from the Iranians. Iran’s Fars News Agency reported Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi dismissing Trump’s insulting remarks. He stressed that Tehran does not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action.

“Addressing the Civilised and Courageous Nation of Iran with derogatory language does not diminish its Greatness,” Araghchi said. He added that Iranians are renowned for their “civility, culture, and strong moral values".

I can vouch for that. I have visited Iran a couple of times, most recently in 2018, and have friendships with Iranians today. Some are anti-government, some are pro-government; all are intelligent, courteous people. Travelling through Iran it is impossible not to notice that good manners and generosity are deeply embedded in Iranian culture.

And then there’s the Americans.

I remember attending the APEC summit in Kuala Lumpur in 1998 with the New Zealand delegation. At........

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