In a new package of proposals released last week to the major powers, Iran expressed a willingness to discuss global nuclear disarmament. Unsurprisingly, nowhere did Iran mention its own nuclear program, which authorities implausibly insist is for civil energy. Despite this, the Obama administration is eager to embark on negotiations without preconditions. The only way to justify this enthusiasm is to recognize that the White House cares more about gestures than actual results.

Take, for instance, Thursday’s interview in The Washington Post with Iranian Ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency Ali Asghar Soltanieh, who rebuffed American efforts to punish Iran’s insistence on nuclear proliferation: “Not only did we not give up, but we increased our efforts and made more and more achievements. We passed all these barriers, one by one.” Does this sound like a country eager to engage in disarmament? He continued to assert that Iran forbade weapons of mass destruction on religious grounds. How, then, does Iran justify ruthlessly beating pro-democratic protesters?