Is the ‘Islamabad Declaration’ a necessary truce or start of a long road to resolution?

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If the reports surrounding what is now being called the “Islamabad Declaration” are accurate, then what we are witnessing is not a fully-fledged peace agreement between Washington and Tehran, but rather an urgent political attempt to pull the region back from the edge of a wider confrontation and return it to the negotiating table.

The outlines emerging from diplomatic leaks suggest a provisional framework, an extension of the ceasefire, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, gradual easing of certain sanctions and restrictions, and preliminary Iranian commitments related to maritime security and the nuclear file, while the most contentious issues are deferred to future negotiations.

According to several international reports, the proposed arrangement could include a 60-day extension of the truce, the lifting of restrictions on Iranian ports, and limited sanctions relief, in exchange for Iranian assurances regarding nuclear weaponization, enrichment activities, and parts of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

What matters most, however, is that the agreement, at least in its current form, does not resolve the crisis so much as reorganize it. It addresses the urgent headlines, ending hostilities, restoring freedom of navigation, easing economic pressure, and reopening diplomatic channels.

But the deeper and more explosive issues remain untouched: the future of Iran’s nuclear program, enrichment levels, ballistic missiles, Tehran’s regional influence, and the security guarantees demanded by both Israel and the Gulf states.

For that reason, the “Islamabad Declaration” appears less like a final settlement and more like a strategic pause, a carefully........

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