Negotiations in Pakistan between the United States and Iran failed last weekend. This outcome was inevitable.

The Trump administration wanted Tehran to dismantle its nuclear program, surrender its missile capabilities, and open the Strait of Hormuz unconditionally. But that plainly constituted capitulation for Tehran. The credible path toward a nuclear weapon is the Iranian regime’s only long-term insurance policy against suffering the fate of Saddam Hussein and Muammar Gaddafi. The tyrants in Tehran also understand that such a concession would be read at home as surrender, and a regime that rules through intimidation and the mythology of resistance cannot risk appearing defeated.