Has the recent U.S. strike against Iran been enough to stop the cycle of violence? Noah Rothman, on today’s edition of The Editors, thinks not.

Noah quotes from a Politico piece, which says that “Joe Biden didn’t give a speech to the American people about a very risky military operation designed to restore deterrence in the region, to pacify Iran in response to the death of three Americans because he was afraid that the speech would be seen in Tehran as escalatory.” “That’s insane,” Noah says. “If we took it at face value, it would mean that he thinks that nations commit themselves to courses as risky as the possibility of direct conflict, existential conflict, with a great power based on speeches? That’s nonsense.

“Yes, we’re going to [see] — and have seen since these strikes — the continuation of this campaign attacking and harassing American positions in Iraq and Syria.”

Noah points out that the administration isn’t willing to do any sort of “sustained campaign” because that would require it to go to Congress.

“They’re not serious,” he says. “Joe Biden is willing to absorb all these attacks on Americans up to and including the deaths of Americans. And we will continue to see that until his resolve somehow manifests.”

The Editors podcast is recorded on Tuesdays and Fridays every week and is available wherever you listen to podcasts.