THE prospect of stronger cultural and trade links between Scotland and Iran seems to have become an idée fixe of Alex Salmond in recent months.

Last December, for example, the former First Minister led an SNP delegation to Iran with the aim of building a partnership based, said Mr Salmond, on the Scottish principle of enlightened self-interest. It has also now emerged he lobbied ministers to set up a “Scotland Week” in the country along the lines of similar events in Canada and the US. He also pushed for the Scottish Government to establish an Iranian trade office.

The official response from the SNP to all of this has been lukewarm to say the least, with the Scottish Government issuing distinctly limp statements designed to look supportive to Mr Salmond without actually doing anything to take his ideas forward.

But could Mr Salmond be on to something? In many ways, the official reluctance on greater closeness with Iran is understandable. The president Hassan Rouhani has been portrayed as a moderate – indeed, he lived in Scotland while a student at Glasgow Caledonian University – and there are some encouraging signs of social progress such as the fact that 70 per cent of Iran’s science and engineering students are women. But on the whole the human rights record of the country remains deeply troubling.

In encouraging greater closeness, the Government would have to strongly challenge that record. But there is also an opportunity for Scotland to play a part in opening up Iran to global trade and in the process help to cement President Obama’s agreement to end sanctions in exchange for Iran limiting its nuclear activities.

Controlling Iran’s nuclear ambitions has the potential to make the Middle East safer. But strengthening its cultural and economic ties with Scotland and the rest of the West could convince it never to turn back.