Analysis: Iran decides to give its Western adversaries a taste of their own medicine This week, botched attempts to kill Israeli diplomats have taken place in countries as far flung as India and Georgia. Meanwhile, three explosions in the Thai capital, Bangkok, all appear to have been the work of one Iranian citizen, who succeeded only in critically wounding himself. Ayatollah Khamenei explicitly threatened to avenge the deaths of the scientists by striking Israel - and the Israeli government has duly held Iran responsible for these incidents. That is a reasonable, if unproven, assumption. But equally notable is what Iran has not done. Last December, the commander of Iran's navy claimed that closing the Strait of Hormuz, the vital channel through which 35 per cent of the world's seaborne oil passes, would be as easy as "drinking a glass of water." To reinforce his point, Iran then held two naval exercises in this vital stretch of ocean. But, so far, Iran has made no attempt to harass or obstruct shipping. USS Abraham Lincoln, a 100,000-ton aircraft carrier, has passed through the Strait twice in the last month without incident. And amid all the sound and fury yesterday Â or "pressure," as Iran's diplomats might call it - there was also the offer of engagement. Saeed Jalili, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, accepted an invitation to negotiate made last October by Baroness Ashton, the EU's foreign policy chief. If Iran's regime does intend to defuse the crisis over its nuclear ambitions, it will try to hide any compromise behind a smokescreen of belligerence. Yesterday's decisions suggest there might be a slender chance that Iran is at least considering this option. The negotiations, if they happen, will be the key test.