India, April 8 -- Washington entered the war against Iran as the clear favourite. It has now paused the war, offering lessons for everyone in how not to fight a war. Of course, Iran couldn't defeat the US militarily. It only needed to survive, on its own terms. And it did, visibly and defiantly for 39 days, against the world's lone superpower. In such a war, survival alone would have been victory.

But Iran managed something more than mere survival. It walked away with its Strait of Hormuz card still in hand, its regime intact, and its own 10-point framework on the negotiating table as the agenda for the next two weeks. Tehran has also amply demonstrated the limits of American military power and the sustainability of Washington's politica...