New Delhi, Aug. 28 -- The word Iran's foreign minister chose was not yes. It was not impossible, which is a different and much smaller thing.

pressure doesn't work," he wrote. "The U.S. should build trust, speak respectfully, acknowledge our rights, and uphold commitments." The post went up a day after Qatar's prime minister flew to Tehran for the first high-level Qatari visit since the war began on February 28.

Three of those four conditions are about atmosphere. Trust, respectful language and acknowledgement of rights can be delivered by a change of tone, and tone is the cheapest thing a government has to give. The fourth is not like the others. Upholding commitments is a reference to 2018, when Washington left the nuclear agreement I...