Those who said Iran would never do anything so irrational as to contract for the assassination of a Saudi ambassador in Washington now must realize that Iran has acted with immense foolhardiness in tolerating a public attack on the British consulate in Tehran.

This act was as blatant a slap at the West as would be the killing of a foreign diplomat in a Western capital — and it will result in sanctions just as severe.

It now appears a global effort to isolate Iran and impose sanctions of unprecedented severity is being developed.  It remains to be seen what will actually occur, but it certainly appears that Iran’s leaders have shot themselves in the foot once again.