Sixty days were supposed to transform a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States into a lasting peace under the Islamabad agreement, which called for negotiations toward a permanent settlement and a gradual easing of tensions.
But the deadline has passed without a final deal. Sanctions remain in place. US forces remain deployed across the region. The blockade continues. And the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a new front in the confrontation.
So what happened in Islamabad? Was diplomacy ever given a genuine chance, or was the agreement undermined before it could deliver peace? And if negotiations resume, can they succeed in preventing the next war?