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Commentary
Wall Street Journal

The “Irrepressible” US-Iran Conflict

Both sides might like to stop but see too much to lose to make an agreement stick.

walter_russell_mead
walter_russell_mead
Ravenel B. Curry III Distinguished Fellow in Strategy and Statesmanship
Walter Russell Mead
A man waves a flag near Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad, Iran, on July 9, 2026. (Getty Images)
Caption
A man waves a flag near Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad, Iran, on July 9, 2026. (Getty Images)

Only one thing was falling apart faster last week than Graham Platner’s Senate campaign: The memorandum of understanding between the Trump administration and what remains of Iran’s civilian government.

By Monday, there was, as Gertrude Stein would put it, no there there. The Iranians have no plans to negotiate an end to their nuclear program. The Americans aren’t giving Iran sanctions relief. Iran is firing missiles at commercial ships. The U.S. is retaliating against targets across Iran. Iran responds by targeting countries ranging from Oman to Jordan. President Trump calls the Iranian leaders “evil people” and “scum” before reinstating the American blockade. Mosques all over Iran echo with calls for the assassination of Mr. Trump.

Read in the Wall Street Journal.