Donald Trump said Sunday there would not be a strike against Iran “today.” A welcome answer, with a surprisingly short warranty.

The Associated Press reports that he first declined to telegraph his intentions, then supplied that one-day assurance. Iran, meanwhile, says messages are still passing through intermediaries. This is not an announced end to the conflict.

It follows Trump’s Friday suggestion that the United States might simply “let it wither,” rather than finish things off, because it was getting what it wanted. War has apparently reached the stage of a houseplant you don’t like enough to water but haven’t decided to throw out.

Except a war does not quietly die in the corner. Other people continue living inside the decision.

Yahoo Finance also reported that UN ambassador Mike Waltz said the United States could maintain its blockade for an extended period, while hoping negotiations would resolve the conflict sooner. The administration has room in its presentation for both a long standoff and the possibility of a deal.

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That is not automatically a contradiction. Negotiations can be difficult. What deserves ridicule is presenting an unresolved, expensive conflict as a collection of attractive options for the man narrating it.

He can choose patience. He can choose pressure. Everybody else can choose whether to be impressed now or wait for the next announcement.

There has been some real improvement in regional oil exports, according to the reporting, including through pipelines and alternative routes. That is worth acknowledging. It is not the same as saying the shipping situation is normal, or that renewed fighting couldn’t wreck the improvement.

A useful outcome would be fewer reasons to worry about another strike. A useful explanation would say what remains unresolved and how the administration intends to resolve it. Neither requires a daily audition for the role of man who could do absolutely anything if he felt like it.

For now, we have today.

Tomorrow apparently requires another briefing.