By desperately seeking Iran’s return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear accord, the Biden administration is squandering the vast economic leverage bequeathed to it by the Trump administration.

President Joe Biden is encouraging Iran to play hardball in negotiations pertaining to its return to compliance with the nuclear deal. It has just been announced that the United States will participate in a meeting in Vienna on Tuesday with Iran. Also included will be the other signatory members of the nuclear accord — Britain, China, France, Germany, and Russia. But while the U.S. is expected to play a passive role in these discussions, the Iranians evidently believe that they now hold the strategic initiative. Iran’s Fars News state media outlet reported one Iranian official’s comment on Friday that no negotiations were necessary. This is because, the official said, “The United States can return to the agreement and end lawbreaking just in the way that it pulled out of it and imposed illegal sanctions against Iran.”