Iran’s centrifuges keep spinning, North Korea is forgotten, and the ceasefire praised by U.S. diplomats has gone sour. Even among long-term allies, the situation is as bad: Just after the Turkey’s prime minister personally vouches for a known al-Qaeda financier (to whom his chief advisor personally donated), the Turkish press reports that the White House offers him a Bush meeting and photo-op. Just how bad is it? Today’s Tehran Times oozes with Iranian overconfidence:

…Hezbollah will not disarm… Still smarting from their defeat in the 33-day war, the Zionist regime is now determined to save face over the military debacle by launching another military attack on Lebanon. However, Zionist officials should have realized by now that Israel’s security problems can not be resolved through military operations. Israel’s main problem is the fact that it can not understand current conditions in the region or the vocabulary of regional nations because it is a foreign element that has been imposed on the Middle East. Although the Zionists have occupied many Arab territories over the past half century by relying on their military might and the support of the U.S. and other Western countries, the geopolitical situation is now very different…. Hezbollah’s influence now extends beyond Lebanon’s borders, and it enjoys significant regional and international support. If Zionist leaders believe they can guarantee their security by assassinating Hezbollah leaders, they are living in a dream world. Hezbollah is not dependent on any particular individual leaders. Its foundation lies on the beliefs of its members and jihadi principles, and this is what Zionist officials are having a hard time accepting.