President Donald Trump has announced that an agreement with Iran has been largely negotiated and now awaits finalization. If the agreement permanently removes the threats that brought the region to the brink of a wider conflict, it would represent a significant achievement. But announcements are not outcomes. The real test is whether the final deal eliminates the capabilities that created the crisis in the first place or merely postpones them.

Any agreement that leaves Iran’s rulers in power, its nuclear infrastructure largely intact, and its ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz preserved is not a victory. It is a pause before the next confrontation.