Old fox

In Iranian and many other traditions, the fox is known as a sly and cunning animal, and therefore has often been used as a metaphor for a cunning person who achieves goals through trickery rather than simply by force. In the context of Iranian attitudes to the United Kingdom, the term was first used by the philosopher and poet Adib Pishavari (1844–1930). Pishavari later wrote many poems expressing his anti-British sentiment, often representing the United Kingdom using animal metaphors, such as "old fox", "ominous raven" and "venomous viper". == Historical context ==

Iranians' use of "old fox" may express personal opposition to the Persian Constitutional Revolution, support for the 1921 coup d'état, tension between the two nations during the Abadan Crisis (which led to British support for the 1953 coup d'état), British opposition to the Iranian Revolution, or allegations that Britain instigated street riots after the 2009 Iranian presidential election. Hemayat wrote on its front page "The old fox arrived with its lights turned off", Resalat wrote "No-one is happy with the return of the old fox", and Kayhan wrote "In Iran's eyes, Britain is still the 'old fox'". == See also ==