The original JCPOA was inherently a deeply destructive concession; a return to the JCPOA would be an utter capitulation. Knowing Biden was desperate for a deal, the mullahs played hard to get, refusing to sit down with American negotiators. Consequently, Malley and the administration have used intermediaries, and — breathtakingly in light of current events — Russian diplomat Mikhail Ulyanov has played a leading role in the talks. How comforting to learn that, pursuant to a Russian proposal in January reportedly extended with the knowledge of the American delegation, Iran would reap the benefits of sanctions relief by parking the uranium it has been enriching with Moscow…

The Islamic Republic is a consistent sponsor of terrorism and force for the instability of the region. It has continually supported the likes of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. It has armed Hezbollah with thousands of rockets and missiles to menace Israel. The IRGC orchestrated Iran’s brutal operations in Iraq and Syria and continues to support terrorist groups throughout the Middle East. But instead of holding Iran accountable, the Biden administration would not only remove the stigma of the terrorism designation but reward it with billions to underwrite its activities. Indeed, as a general matter, besides temporary limits on its nuclear work, the agreement Biden is reportedly contemplating imposes no restrictions on what Iran may do with its windfall — not on terrorism, support for terrorist proxies, ballistic-missile development, hostage-taking, and the rest of its atrocious menu.

That’s not even the White House’s greatest delusion; they seem to believe this weaker version of the JCPOA will be a springboard for a “longer and stronger” deal. But we’ve played all our cards, and Iran isn’t likely to return to the negotiating table after scoring a deal as sweet as this one.