THE action-packed weekend, which came early to Islamabad, also ended quickly. By Sunday afternoon, the US-Iran talks had taken place and the two parties flew back without much to show publicly for the intense, hours-long negotiations. The press reaction varied — while many international headlines announced a failure of the talks, others were less pessimistic. Perhaps the headline, like beauty, lay in the eye of the beholder and her expectations. Those who expected a major breakthrough within a day of talks have been disappointed, while those who saw the talks as the beginning of a long, drawn-out process were and are hopeful that the ceasefire might continue as well as the negotiations, for neither side has denied the possibility of the latter. Indeed, for most of Sunday there were statements from leaders worldwide urging a continuation of the talks.

At the same time, there was little clarity on what the sticking points may have been, though there were hints aplenty. For instance, before leaving Islamabad, Vice-President J.D. Vance highlighted the nuclear issue only, adding that he had left the Iranians with an offer. “We will see if they accept it,” he said. Intriguingly enough, President Donald Trump in his social media posts focused on the Strait of Hormuz, and even announced a blockade on top of the blockade being imposed by the Iranians themselves. His post led to conjecture that for the Americans, the strait is perhaps one of........

© Dawn