Iran appears to be using talks to buy time while continuing to threaten the Gulf, tankers, and the Strait of Hormuz.

The United States has already damaged major parts of Iran’s military and political structure, but the conflict will continue unless Iran loses the ability to keep attacking its neighbors and disrupting global shipping.

The path forward is to raise the cost on Iran’s military infrastructure, weaken its ability to strike, and create the conditions for most American forces to come home.