Granting waivers on Iranian oil only emboldens the ayatollahs

Three months ago, an American team led by Brett McGurk, the National Security Council Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, attempted to convince Iran to pressure its Houthi clients in Yemen to cease attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea. The so-called indirect talks, which Oman brokered, came to an inconclusive end in February — and the attacks have continued, with no letup in sight. Since the talks over the Houthis have been suspended and in effect have collapsed, McGurk and other American officials have been negotiating to secure both a truce between Israel and Hamas and the…