The fourth round of talks concluded last weekend between the United States and Iran, and the world is at a critical juncture. Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, is weakened and cornered. The United States is currently in “expert-level” talks with Iran regarding its nuclear program, but this apparent opening comes with danger. This is not the time for diplomatic daydreams or naive resets. This is the moment to finish the job and permanently prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power.

Let’s be clear about who we’re dealing with. Since the Iranian Revolution of 1979 brought the theocratic ayatollahs to power, the Islamic Republic of Iran has made “Death to America” not just a chant, but a strategic objective. Its leaders issue fatwas against authors such as Salman Rushdie, whose near-fatal stabbing in New York was a chilling reminder of Iran’s reach. Iran also orchestrated an assassination plot against President Donald Trump. Iran’s fingerprints are on attacks that span continents and decades, from Beirut to Baghdad to Buenos Aires.

This is a regime that doesn’t hide its intentions. It proclaims them. A former Iranian president, Hashemi Rafsanjani, once openly mused that a nuclear exchange with Israel would 

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