New Delhi, June 16 -- The ghosts of Persepolis are awake. And the ancient civilizational memory of the Persian Empire's conquest by Alexander, long buried under diplomacy, trade deals and strategic hedging, has erupted again into confrontation. Since last week, Israel and Iran have exchanged fresh attacks-a dreary birthday greeting for the Nobel Peace Prize aspirant President Donald Trump; now he is yet another US president presiding over yet another Middle East war.

While the Israeli strikes may not have been formally greenlit by Washington, Tehran clearly believes that the US gave its tacit support. The optics confirm the suspicion. Trump quickly praised Israel's actions as "excellent." The reality is that America, for all its denials,...