Adam Turner argues that President Donald Trump is wasting time by negotiating with Iran. Turner gives a sobering account of the regime’s record, but his conclusion moves too quickly from distrust to regime change. Tehran has earned no benefit of the doubt. American service members and regional allies still deserve a president who tests a credible off-ramp before ordering another major attack.

No one ever mistook Trump for a John Lennon peace activist. That makes the change worth noticing. A president who built his public identity around winning now appears willing to ask whether holding fire for a few days can secure more than firing another salvo. Maturity in statecraft sometimes means recognizing that military power has its greatest value when an adversary knows it can be used and the commander knows when to wait.