It is a sign of how much the United States influences our lives that large numbers of Indians tuned in to see the first debate between Presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The debate was shown early in the morning but many had arranged to not just get up, but also assemble friends to see it together so that they could discuss it in real time, somewhat like, say, World Cup football.

Qalibaf, who is the mayor of Tehran, also cited national solidarity, active regional diplomacy, economic diplomacy, public diplomacy, and prudent resistance as the most important tools for activating the country’s diplomacy on the global stage.