Beneath the Bombast, Iran's Leaders Tread Lightly With the U.S.

U.S. President Donald Trump isn't pulling his punches with Iran. In early May, he announced his unilateral decision to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and to reinstate select sanctions on Iran starting in August. He also warned that he would enforce secondary sanctions on countries that continue doing business with the Islamic republic, confident that U.S. allies, such as the 28 members of the European Union, would take heed. And with limited options for resisting Washington, most have. French President Emmanuel Macron cautioned Trump -- having failed to convince him of the merits of staying in the JCPOA -- that in the wake of the U.S. withdrawal, the chances of conflict with Iran would grow. Iran, after all, had declared its intentions to increase uranium enrichment if the deal collapsed and confirmed that it would keep investing in its ballistic missile program. But beneath these threats, Iran knows...