Bret Stephens predictably thinks that Trump’s decision to break out of the Iran nuclear deal has been successful. Is he right?
Not really. It is true, as he says, that the new American sanctions have made it more difficult for the Iranians to find the money to support their confederates elsewhere in the Middle East, and that the Iranians have chosen to date not to tear up the agreement. It is consequently fair to say that things could definitely be worse. He neglects to point out, however, that Trump’s decision has severely damaged our relationship with our European allies, who are actively taking the Iranian side in the dispute, that the Iranians could change their position on observing the agreement at any time, and that the new sanctions have not, and will not, result in regime change. All the sanctions are doing is making everyone’s lives more difficult, which was hardly the point.