There's No Deal To Be Made With Iran

President Trump should drop the Monty Hall shtick.

President Trump is sounding more like Monty Hall — the legendary host of the “Let’s Make a Deal” television game show — than the commander in chief of the world’s strongest military.

He cannot help it: As a businessman, it is his comfort zone. But the author of “The Art of the Deal” has met his match with the Islamic Republic of Iran — more specifically with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander and de facto leader of Iran Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi.

Mr. Vahidi seemingly has taken a line out of the 1970 “Patton” movie: “Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!”

Yes, the president did direct U.S. Central Command to strike Iranian targets in the wake of the country’s attacks against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and for targeting U.S. bases in Jordan and the Gulf states with ballistic missiles and drones.

“U.S. forces successfully struck military targets across Iran,” CENTCOM reported, “to further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping. CENTCOM forces employed precision munitions against Iranian coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites, and maritime capabilities.”

CENTCOM struck more than 300 targets between July 10 and 15. The IRGC has been on the receiving end of many of those strikes.

In addition, the United States has reimposed its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The White House has doubled back down on two of its four instruments of national power, military and economic, after diplomacy failed — again.

In the balance: The president told reporters Wednesday in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, he heard from Iranian officials earlier that day, and they want to meet for another round of peace talks.

“They always want to meet. They’re nasty people, but they want to make a deal. I can tell you they want to make a deal,” Mr. Trump said.

Where have we heard this before?

He is correct, though. Mr. Trump said Monday on “Fox & Friends,” “We had a deal. It was a done deal. And then they broke it. They always break it. We have had 10 deals with these people. And so we’re just going to hit them very hard.”

Does the president really think the 11th time will be the charm?

Decision point: Just last week the president was telling us, “I don’t want to deal with them anymore. They’re scum,” adding it is a waste of his time to deal with the country’s negotiators.

And it is. Nothing has changed — same negotiators, same regime, same IRGC leadership running the country. Same Mr. Vahidi who told his negotiators, “We have tamed President Trump. We got what we wanted. As always, the naïve West believes it will get something in return, which, of course, will never happen.”

The time for negotiations is over — that ship has sailed. The president must stay the course and finish the job. There will never be peace in the Middle East if this regime remains in power.

Mr. Trump needs to make two phone calls: the first to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu greenlighting Israel to take out IRGC leadership, the second to Admiral Brad Cooper telling him to secure the Strait of Hormuz.

The only phone call the president should accept from Iran is from Mr. Vahidi saying he accepts U.S. terms of surrender.