Bangladesh, March 27 -- While the rationale for US President Donald Trump's Iran war is difficult to decipher, its main beneficiary is far easier to identify: Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In making the case for military action against the Islamic Republic, Trump and his advisers have leaned heavily on moral outrage, portraying its leaders as "wicked," citing the regime's "brutal oppression of its own people," and insisting that the United States must play a direct role in determining who governs the country.

None of this withstands scrutiny. Many leaders around the world oppress their own people without prompting US regime-change wars. Putin is notorious for murdering his political opponents at home and abroad, yet Trump has consis...