The Middle East presents a Rubik’s Cube of conflicting interests so complex that a consistent and coherent UK policy of intervention is actually impossible. In Syria our goal is to remove Assad, against the interests of Iran. But Assad too is fighting our enemy, Isil. In Iraq we support the Shia-dominated government. But it is to all intents and purposes a vassal of Iran. Because the regular Iraqi army is so broken, it is the Iraqi Shia militias, with Iranian advisers, who are doing the bulk of the fighting against Isil. For this reason the Sunni tribes have so far refused to fight Isilk in the way they successfully fought Al Qaeda with the Americans in 2006. Whether we like it or not, we are in de facto alliance against Isil with Assad of Syria and with Iran, the implacable foe of our long-standing ally, Sunni Saudi Arabia.