In the Persian version of the fable of the scorpion and the frog, the frog is replaced by a turtle, but the rest of the tale is familiar. The turtle is stung even as it is doing the scorpion a good turn — ferrying it across a river — and is told, by way of explanation, that this is merely an expression of the arachnid’s nature.
The moral of that tale may finally be dawning on European leaders who have been keeping the Islamic Republic from falling into the water for the past four years. Having received little gratitude from Tehran for their efforts to preserve the 2015 nuclear deal, they are now receiving fresh reminders of the Iranian regime’s true nature.
