The Other War of Words Over Iran

But for one nagging detail, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s speech on Sunday about Iran stands as one of the finest moments in U.S.-Iran relations since the 1979 revolution. Unfortunately, that detail is not minor: It’s the man Pompeo reports to, President Donald Trump.

First, the good news about the speech, titled “Supporting Iranian Voices”: The secretary named names — not only shameful leaders like Sadeq Larijani, the head of Iran’s judiciary, who stands accused of embezzling more than $300 million, but also a Sufi dissident known only as Mr. Salas, who was hanged by the regime last month. He also praised successful Iranian-Americans such as Makan Delrahim, an assistant attorney general. At a time when Iranian citizens are organizing protests and strikes about everything from corruption to drought, Pompeo’s message was perfectly timed. It will resonate with a population that feels cheated out of the economic boon promised from the 2015 nuclear deal, and it’s a reminder that America has no quarrel with Iranians, only their leaders.