President Donald Trump addresses the nation to give an update of the war against Iran in the White House on Wednesday. Alex Brandon - Pool Via Cnp/Alex Brandon/Pool/Cnp/ZUMA Press
President Trump on Wednesday made the case for going to war with Iran that he should have made at the outset, but it was still essential for Americans to hear it. The most important message we heard is that he's not ending the war until the job is done, and Iran's leaders would be wise to act accordingly.
The strongest argument for bombing Iran is to deny the radical regime a nuclear weapon, and Mr. Trump made the case with vigor. You can nitpick that he exaggerated the immediacy of when Iran would have a bomb or have missiles capable of hitting America. But only a naif would believe the ayatollahs weren't set on both. Someone had to stop them, and Mr. Trump acted when other Presidents and world leaders would not.
Mr. Trump sent other important messages. He praised U.S. allies in the Middle East -- Israel and the Gulf Arabs -- for their help and said he wouldn't let them be harmed. This will be reassuring in particular to the Arabs who have been targets of Iranian retaliation. Perhaps it will encourage them to join the fight.
We were glad the President didn't repeat his threat to withdraw from NATO. But he did send a pointed message to Europe and our Asian allies that depend on Persian Gulf oil that they have a stake in helping the U.S. open the Strait of Hormuz. They should heed it.
The President also warned Iran's leaders not to think they can survive if they fight on. Media coverage of the war in the U.S. has been so relentlessly negative that Iran's leaders may really believe they are winning. But Mr. Trump assured them that he plans to continue the war to devastating effect if they don't abandon their nuclear and terror ambitions. He made no offer of a cease-fire.
Mr. Trump said the bombing would continue for at least another two to three weeks, though there was also an implicit threat of possible escalation. He threatened to destroy all of the country's infrastructure, including its oil facilities and electric power production, if Iran's leaders decide to go down fighting. Taking out power plants could be counterproductive by hurting the Iranian people we want on our side. But Iran should take the threat seriously, especially regarding its oil.
The speech was a useful tonic to all of the reports and White House leaks suggesting Mr. Trump is desperate to end the war as quickly as he can. He tried to be reassuring by saying the spike in gasoline prices will be temporary and is worth the effort to rid the world of the Iranian threat. He may be mistaken in his assertion that the Strait will easily open to oil flows once the bombing stops, but he also showed no sign he wants to walk away with Iran in charge of the Strait.
All told Mr. Trump delivered an effective speech, with a persuasive message that should win him enough time to keep up his campaign to achieve all of his war aims. Now let's hope he sticks to that message long enough for it to sink in with the many audiences he was trying to reach, at home and abroad.