Interviewed after the reopening of our embassy in Tehran on Monday, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond remarked that Iran now has a “more nuanced approach” to Israel. Given that the previous day Ayatollah Khamenei had again called for “death to Israel”, one could only wonder what this nuance involved. Extermination by conventional rather than nuclear weapons, perhaps? Helpfully, Hussein Sheikholeslam, a foreign affairs adviser to the speaker of the parliament, clarified the position on Tuesday: “Our positions against the usurper Zionist regime have not changed at all; Israel should be annihilated and this is our ultimate slogan.” Some nuance, eh, Mr Hammond?