This Is Not a Grand Bargain With Iran. Good.

President Trump’s preliminary agreement with Iran appears at its core to be a simple trade—Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States will end its blockade of Iranian ports, waive oil-related sanctions and unfreeze certain Iranian assets—dressed up with promises to negotiate a grander bargain down the road. It is already under fire. Critics on the left charge that it compares unfavorably to the 2015 nuclear agreement that Mr. Trump tore up; hawks on the right, many of whom supported the war, argue that Mr. Trump should have held out for more nuclear concessions from Iran. Concerns about what may come next, be it renewed fighting or a flawed final bargain, are well founded. But notions that the United States should have held out for more upfront nuclear concessions get things backward...

Read the full article on the New York Times website.