Ottolenghi, however, believes the issue will not go away, suggesting three certainties.

First, the Islamic Republic's nuclear project has a military dimension, although it is quite possible that the Khomeinist leadership has not yet ordered the making of nuclear bombs. But there is no doubt that it intends to do so and is preparing all that is needed for doing so.

Second, the acquisition of nuclear weapons by the regime will have a devastating effect on the wider Middle East's balance of power. At the very least, it could trigger a new nuclear arms race in the region.

Third, contrary to growing popular view among experts and policymakers, Ottolenghi believes that the bomb project could be stopped.

It is this part of the book that analysts and policymakers would find of most interest. He suggests practical measures designed to raise the threshold of pain to a point at which the mullahs would feel that abandoning their quest for the bomb might be their least bad option.

Ottolenghi rejects "blanket sanctions" as counter-productive. Instead, he suggests a policy of targeted or "smart sanctions" designed to hurt the regime and trigger behavioural change.

He assumes that the Obama administration might be reluctant to confront the Islamic Republic in a meaningful way. Obama has offered Iran unconditional talks, a process that could eat up the whole of his four-year term without producing tangible results. This is why Ottolenghi calls on the Europeans to devise a policy of their own for stopping or, at least, slowing the programme.

"This is the hour of Europe," the author suggests. "European negotiators have tried the paths of compromise, concession and conciliation, dialogue (both critical and constructive) and accommodation for long enough. Now, before the capitals of Europe learn the earth-shattering news of a successful nuclear test in Iran is the time to demonstrate that Europe's soft power can be transformative."

Dr Ottolenghi's book is a wake-up call for Europe. After all, a nuclear-armed Khomeinist regime is more of a threat to nearby Europe than it could be to the distant US.