AMB GORDON SONDLAND: The truth about Iran's 'imminent threat' that politicians hate to admit

There is nothing wrong with questioning U.S. policy toward Iran. In fact, it is essential. The press should probe, Congress should challenge, and both parties should debate the wisdom of any potential military action. These are not trivial matters, and the stakes — American lives, regional stability and nuclear proliferation — are too high for anything less than serious scrutiny.

What has become troubling, however, is how unserious the conversation has become around a single phrase: "imminent...