In the 1990’s I served in the State Department with one of the released hostages of the Iranian takeover of the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979. The Iranian government, in a breach of all international norms, allowed radicals to take over the U.S. embassy and imprison sixty-six Americans. Some were released at various times, but fifty-two Americans, including my acquaintance, were held for 444 days. Captives were mistreated and harshly interrogated. They were released in January, 1981.

Today, three Americans; Amir Hekmati, Jason Rezaian, and Saeed Abedini; are jailed in Iran on spurious charges. Saeed Abedini, is a Christian pastor whose imprisonment in Iran is a form of religious persecution.

Iran has supported Syria’s brutal tyrant, Bashar al-Assad.

Iran also has issues with the United States. Before the takeover of the U.S. embassy, we strongly backed an Iranian ruler, the Shah, whose regime used secret police and torture. Before that, in 1953, the United States supported a coup against a popularly elected Iranian official because we disagreed with his policies.

All wrongs cannot be righted, either ours or theirs. That is not the purpose of the nuclear accords. Their purpose is to control nuclear weapons. Judge them on their ability to inhibit nuclear weapons in the Middle East.