A stream of migrants at the southern border. A creeping debt ceiling that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has hinted might collapse the market. A lingering pandemic. Dust-ups with France over a nuclear submarine deal with Australia. President Joe Biden’s to-do list is overflowing. The last thing Biden needs is a new crisis with Iran.

Unfortunately, if the diplomatic process over Iran’s nuclear program doesn’t start moving again, Washington and Tehran could very well find themselves in a crisis situation both want to avoid. There is time to stop short of the looming cliff. But that won’t happen if Biden leans back on a maximum pressure strategy of intense sanctions and diplomatic pressure.