Everyone can agree that last week’s safe return of 15 British sailors held hostage by Iran was good news, at least in the sense that the uniformed men and women were not physically harmed.

But one of the most erroneous, and dangerous, conclusions that seems to be gaining currency amongst world leaders and journalists at the end of this whole spectacle is that the West’s policies toward Iran over the past few years are in any way to blame for stoking Iranian aggression.