Part 17: A Flash of Nail Varnish

Our Man in the Middle East

Jeremy Bowen reflects on Iran's strategic position in the Middle East and its attitudes to the West. "Give Iran a chance," he says. "The United States and its allies are easily strong enough to take action if it looks as if Iran is not keeping its nuclear promises. Show them it's in their interest to open up and do business." Bowen has been reporting from the region for more than a quarter of a century". He combines first-hand accounts from the front line with an in-depth look into the region's history. He has witnessed endless wars between individuals, religious groups and full-sized states, jostling for military, political and economic power. He has interviewed dictators, fanatics and fundamentalists as well as the ordinary people caught up in their dangerous games. In that time, the past has always been present, providing motivation and political ammunition . Bowen has made headlines himself and he has paid a personal price, coming under fire and losing a colleague in the course of reporting - on the worst day, he says, in his life. Producers: Mark Savage and Cara Swift.