BRET STEPHENS: Deal or no deal with Iran? |
It isn't hard to see the case for striking a deal with Iran, one that will turn the current shaky ceasefire into a long-term truce.
The global economy needs an end to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz lest energy prices rise even higher. The military option for trying to force the strait open is time-consuming and risky. Iran could retaliate by striking important energy and desalination infrastructure in neighboring states, causing an environmental catastrophe. Negotiation is the only plausible way to get Iran to relinquish its stock of highly enriched uranium, most of which is believed to be buried deep within the nuclear complex in Isfahan. The United States is running low on critical munitions, particularly missile interceptors, which are needed to protect U.S. assets and maintain deterrence against other threats worldwide.
And President Donald Trump promised voters a relatively brief "excursion" in Iran, not another forever war in the Middle East. For him to break that pledge now would also mean breaking faith with millions of MAGA voters who long ago grew tired of presidents who seemed to care more about policing the far-flung corners of the world than about taking care of America........