Two Couldn’t Tango, Now What?

A breeze of cautious optimism had swept through various diplomatic circles, as soon as it was announced that there would be US-Iran talks over the weekend. And even as Islamabad prepared to host these, it seemed that both Washington and Tehran were already rushing to declare victory. The real winner, of course, was common sense.

It had seemed to me that the two sides getting together at the same table, established through China’s balancing power and Pakistan’s mediation, was in fact a ‘forced interval’. It’s where weary boxers take a breather, rather than a lasting peace.