The American invasion of Iraq in 2003 set the path for Tehran to dominate its neighbor and whetted its appetite to expand its influence across the greater Middle East.

© Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times

As Europe grapples with an era of American retren

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Cutting-edge conservation techniques allowed the famous tapestry to travel to England from France. The exhibition in London is shaping up to be a blockbuster.

© Joanna Yee for The New York Times