I traveled to dozens of countries in 2017 and 2018 for work, and stayed in Iran for about 8 months, during which I learned a bit of the local language and made some local friends.

Dealing with Iranians, especially in business, is quite unpleasant. The Persian people left me with the impression that when not doing business, they are warm and hospitable, as friendly as elementary school classmates. However, once it comes to negotiations, they turn into violent beasts, quirky and cunning, with zero sense of contract and almost 100% betrayal. Only the Kurds in the northwest are relatively limited in their honesty by comparison.

Similar to business dealings, Persians have rarely compromised in historical wars. When conflicts arise, they are fearlessly tough. If you slap me, I will definitely stab you; if you stab me, I will definitely shoot you. When street thugs fight, they fear most encountering someone who is also reckless with their life; if you don’t care about your life, I still fear going to jail. This time, the geopolitical conflict also feels like it won't resolve through proper compromise.

If you try to use Han Chinese thinking to substitute for their roles and predict their behavior, it is completely useless. Let me tell a few stories. At that time in Iran, I had a driver and translator, a young guy who drove a small, shabby car worth a few thousand USD. He told me I was very lucky because many people my age do not have a car, and my little car was given to me by Allah. I said, isn’t the money from your father? He replied, yes, the money is from my father, but my little car and everything else is given to me by Allah.