Iran is not only a criminal state; it is a terrorist state. It funds proxies such as Hezbollah to murder on its behalf. It conducts its own terror operations across the world (last week, for example, an Iranian operative was charged with a plot to kill the former US National Security Adviser, John Bolton). It funds rewards for the murder of those it decides should die — as with the $3.3 million it is still offering through a foundation for the murder of Sir Salman Rushdie.

And like other terrorist organisations it has a propaganda programme designed to inspire others around the world to act, with much of it explicitly antisemitic. Its social media channels pump out hatred of Jews and Israel, and Iran both indulges in and encourages others to talk of their death — and to act on that talk.

The only surprise in our revelation that the man who attacked Sir Salman Rushdie last week was seemingly inspired by a massacre of Jews at the Battle of Khaybar in 628CE is that this is the first known example of a lone wolf attack inspired by Iran.

Sir Salman is, of course, Muslim — which shows the scope of Iran’s malignancy. It is also unlikely to be the last example of an Iranian-inspired lone wolf attack, with Jews the prime target of Iran’s terror.

All of which makes the US-led push to revive the 2015 nuclear deal even more dangerous — and perverse.

There appears to be nothing Iran can do which dampens the enthusiasm of the deal’s advocates. Truly, they are Iran’s useful idiots.