Decades of US intervention in the Middle East have inadvertently strengthened Iran’s influence, turning former allies into enemies. From supporting the Shah to the Iraq-Iran war and the invasion of Iraq, US policies have backfired. Instead of fostering stability, they’ve fuelled alliances among groups opposed to Western imperialism. The result? Cooperation among those seeking independence from colonial past and imperial present. Journalist and activist John Rees delves into the Iranian “problem”.