A ceasefire is not a peace treaty. It is simply a cessation of firing.

The clue is in the name. Peace was never going to break out the moment Washington and Tehran agreed to stop shooting. Countries that have spent the better part of five decades distrusting one another do not suddenly become good neighbours because a document has been signed. The recent ceasefire violations are certainly disappointing, but they are hardly the obituary of diplomacy. If anything, they are a reminder that peace talks are less like a sprint and far more like a marathon, complete with a few blisters along the way.

That is exactly why it is important not to lose sight of the progress that has already been made. Islamabad managed to do what many thought would be difficult, if not impossible, by getting Washington and Tehran to sit across the same table. One round of talks was held in Islamabad, followed by another at the Qatari owned Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland, jointly facilitated by Islamabad and Doha. That alone is significant progress. The Memorandum of Understanding was never supposed to solve decades of disagreements overnight. If it did, diplomats around the world would have a lot more free time and probably an ideal work life........

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