The scenes outside the British embassy in Iran yesterday evoked Tehran, 1979. Young, bearded men forced their way in and briefly held six British employees.

The attack was no impromptu happening. Police stood by, and Iranian state television broadcast events live. By some strange reflex, Western media insisted the attackers were “students.” To Iranians who know better, they were the basij militia, the regime’s first line of defense. These thugs were called out to brutally put down the 2009 Green Revolution, a genuine student-led uprising.

The assault was no doubt revenge for Britain’s decision to impose financial sanctions in the wake of the recent U.N. report on Iran’s nuclear-weapons program. Iran’s parliament voted Monday to expel the British ambassador, MPs chanted “Death to Britain” and issued threats against the U.K. embassy. Twenty-four hours later, the basij arrived.

The episode is one more reminder that Iran is not the “status quo power” that many in the West imagine. It is a regime that flouts civilized norms and seeks to dominate its region and terrorize the U.S. and its allies.

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