President Donald Trump began the war with Iran to end the Islamic Republic, which rules that country. Rightly, however, Trump is no longer pursuing that grand objective. Instead, the president is using force to pressure Iran to return to the negotiating table in good faith.

This reduced ambition is sensible. But it does not mean that the nature of the Iranian regime has changed. Indeed, under an ascendant class of ultra-hardliners associated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, more moderate voices in the regime (extreme as they themselves are) appear to have lost influence. In short, Iran will remain a dedicated American enemy.