AMER TAHERI: Speaking Swedish, Acting North Korean.

[In 2013] the new administration of President Hassan Rouhani felt confident that, thanks to support from US President Barack Obama, the Khomeinist regime could talk like Sweden but act like North Korea.

However, it seems that the arrival on the scene of an unknown quantity named Donald J Trump has confused the mullahs, forcing them to ponder whether it is still possible to hoodwink the Americans and the rest of the world while pursuing repression in Iran and destabilizing policies abroad.

Strictly speaking Trump hasn’t yet done anything concrete against the mullahs apart from expressing sympathy with recent mass protests in Iran.

However, the fact that Trump has kept the mullahs guessing about his intentions has already impacted their behavior.

To start with Tehran has ended provocative naval acts in the Strait of Hormuz and its environs, winning praise from the Pentagon. Throughout the Obama presidency the Iranian navy operated “swarming sorties” against US naval units in the region with small speedboats approaching American battleships like so many gnats trying to sting an elephant.

Under Trump, however, the “gnats” are keeping away from the American elephant.

In another register, Tehran has also shelved its annual “End of America” and “A World Without Israel” shows.

I wonder why that is…