One hundred and seven days after the conflict began, the Iran war may finally be nearing a crucial turning point. Over the past few months, several claims of a breakthrough were followed by fresh military clashes and renewed tensions. Every time hopes for peace rose, disagreements between the parties pushed negotiations back to square one, keeping the region on edge and markets uncertain.However, the latest developments suggest that a genuine breakthrough may now be closer than at any point since the conflict began. US President Donald Trump has declared that a settlement is close. More significantly, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has now publicly confirmed that negotiations have advanced substantially and that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and lift the American blockade on Iranian shipping is within reach.

Unlike previous rounds of diplomacy, discussions are no longer centred on broad political aspirations. According to the International media reports, negotiators are now discussing the practical mechanics of implementation: the reopening of shipping lanes, phased sanctions relief, restrictions on Iran’s nuclear programme and limitations on Tehran’s support for regional proxy groups. For the first time since the conflict began, both sides appear to be talking not merely about ending hostilities but about the architecture of a post-war settlement. That alone makes the current moment different from the many false dawns that have preceded it.

The war itself has already transformed the strategic landscape of West Asia or the Middle East. What began as a military campaign intended to degrade Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities evolved into a broader confrontation involving economic warfare, maritime disruption and regional instability. Although periods of ceasefire have punctuated the conflict, the underlying confrontation has never truly stopped.American warships are still deployed across the Gulf, while surveillance aircraft, drones and intelligence operations continue at full wartime levels. Iran also remains under heavy economic pressure. The Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and energy shipments, is still........

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