NEW DELHI—In a rambling address to the American people on April 1, US President Donald Trump claimed that the US war against Iran has been a success, vowing to “finish the job … very fast.” It was a statement in obvious conflict with the facts. Trump is still pretending that Iran is just another small US adversary that can only absorb punishment, lash out locally, and ultimately buckle under sustained military and economic coercion. In reality, Iran has upended the model on which US interventionism has long relied.

© Project Syndicate