In the world of foreign policy, rarely do cost-free options exist.

Policymakers are often forced to deal with crises on the fly, which means that policies enacted in the heat of the moment can turn counterproductive months or even weeks later. Cue U.S. policy in Iraq. In reality, U.S. policy here is as much about Iran as it is about maintaining constructive U.S.-Iraqi relations. Iraq has been the unfortunate victim of Washington’s yearslong maximum pressure campaign against Tehran, a difficult position for the ever fractious government in Baghdad.