The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. It has not used that power since World War II. Today's vote is the fourth time this year it has chosen not to. The 60-day deadline may finally force the question that four votes have managed to avoid.
Read MoreThat traffic has been at a near-standstill since February. The blockade doesn't fix that – it doubles down on it, betting that economic strangulation will force Iran back to the table faster than bombs would. It is a significant bet. Iran has survived sanctions before. Whether it survives this depends on how long the rest of the world is willing to pay $100 a barrel to find out.
Read MoreThere is a structural problem here that no amount of negotiating can easily solve. The U.S. wants a permanent commitment. Iran wants to survive. Those two goals are not obviously compatible, and 21 hours in a room in Islamabad was never going to bridge that gap on its own.
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