Pakistan, Feb. 8 -- The indirect talks between the United States and Iran in Muscat have been presented as a tentative opening. President Donald Trump described them as "very good," even as he warned that failure would bring "very steep" consequences. That duality captures the problem. These were the first such contacts since Washington briefly joined Israel's war with Iran last year by striking nuclear facilities-a rupture that hardened distrust and narrowed political room on both sides.

As if to further thicken the plot, Washington announced new measures targeting Iran's oil exports almost immediately after the Oman session, reinforcing Tehran's long-running claim that it is asked to negotiate under pressure rather than toward a durabl...