Trump is dismantling Iran’s war machine, but America still needs an endgame

For nearly half a century, the Islamic Republic of Iran taught Washington to fear confrontation more than Tehran feared attacking American interests. The regime sponsored terrorism, armed proxies, threatened international shipping and targeted U.S. forces while exploiting American fears of "escalation." President Donald Trump has begun to reverse that equation.

The latest strikes matter not simply because Iranian radar, air defenses and maritime assets have been destroyed, but because Washington...