As renewed U.S.-Iran clashes around the Strait of Hormuz threaten to unravel another diplomatic pause, an old Chinese proverb offers a useful warning: “You have never truly made a mistake unless you refuse to correct it.” This is more than a moral maxim; it is a principle of governance and statecraft. In politics, leaders are judged not by whether they make mistakes, but by how they respond to them. No president is immune from error, yet history tends to remember those who reassess their decisions before an initial miscalculation becomes an irreversible crisis.

Today, more than four months after the United States launched its military campaign against Iran, President Donald Trump’s administration finds itself in strategic limbo. The situation can no longer be described as either a clearly defined war or genuine peace.

Today, more than four months after the United States launched its military campaign against Iran, President Donald Trump’s administration finds itself in strategic limbo. The situation can no longer be described as either a clearly defined war or genuine peace.

Washington has not fully achieved all of its declared objectives, nor has Tehran retreated from its own positions. Instead, military escalation and intermittent diplomacy are unfolding at the same time, leaving the region vulnerable to an incident that could either widen the conflict or reopen the path to de-escalation.

Under these circumstances, many assume that stepping back from military confrontation would represent a political defeat for Trump. Yet the opposite may well be true. Should the president choose to prevent further escalation and pursue crisis management, such a decision would not necessarily signal weakness. Rather, it could represent the correction of a strategic miscalculation—one that may restore part of the political credibility eroded during the conflict.

One of the greatest pitfalls in politics is becoming trapped by previous decisions. Many leaders continue to impose the costs of flawed policies on their countries simply because they are unwilling to acknowledge an earlier mistake.

One of the greatest pitfalls in politics is........

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