Following from "wondering"....
.....I had an interesting four hour chat with an Iranian business man after a fortunate upgrade for me.
He reckoned that there was an "arc of competence" of Iran, northern Iraq, Jordan, Syria and over into north Africa. where they would always thrive. Mainly because they were educated, intelligent and entrepreneurial. The others, Kuwaitis UAE and Saudi, he reckoned would revert to the stone age without oil in pretty short order.
I have no opinion here, I just listened as he worked his way through a bottle of Emirates nice burgundy.
He had been on a visit to Iran for family reasons but he kept his own family and businesses out of Iran. He had no time for the religious zealots and thought that rabid old men were keeping the rest of the young people in Iran from developing their potential in the world.
All in all it was in interesting perspective on a place I've often flown over and would love to visit. but not under the present regime.
The Ancient Mainer