Ryan Modarres

The British military has plenty of enemies, but few are as persistent as paperwork. The Houthi terror group, by contrast, has opted for a rather less bureaucratic procurement model. The Yemeni militia has become skilled at rapidly turning old weapons into new ones, transforming its ageing Soviet-era stock into a modern arsenal featuring AI-powered drones and experimental loitering torpedoes. In South Wales, meanwhile, 700 talented engineers have devoted sixteen years and almost £6 billion of taxpayers’ money to building a bespoke armoured vehicle – Ajax – for the British army. But there's just one slight hitch: it still isn’t ready. While the Houthis have spent the past two years learning to fight, Britain has spent them doing paperwork.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has made many concessions in its long decline. Until now, it stood firm on one rule: women must remain covered. The veil, it has insisted since the 1979 Revolution, was a divine instruction. But apparently divine instructions can lapse. This summer, a young woman appeared at a pro-government rally in a pink top and acid-washed jeans, her hair loose on her shoulders. She addressed the camera while standing among a crowd of women veiled from head to toe. Rather remarkably, the footage went on state television. Five years ago, that footage would have been evidence for a prosecution. Now, it is propaganda. The veil used to divide the pious from the impious.