Middle East breather

The 18-hour marathon between the United States and Iran at Lake Lucerne in Switzerland is not a peace treaty but it is enough for the world to breathe a sigh of relief. For, the engagement hopefully will avert fresh hostilities for another 60 days. According to US Vice President JD Vance, the foundation has been laid, but the house is yet to be built. The establishment of a high-level committee, direct communication channels, and working groups on nuclear issues and sanctions represents the significant progress towards peace and stability, so urgent for a battered global economy to recover. The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows, has been effectively strangled. Every fuel tanker that doesn’t pass through the strait further hikes the global oil prices. The announcement of a communication line to ensure safe passage through the strait is thus a lifeline for the global economy, and one that should have been established long before the crisis made it urgent. On Lebanon, the creation of a “de-confliction cell” to halt Israeli military operations represents a way ahead. And early signs of a cautious calm in southern Lebanon suggest the agreement is making a difference on the ground. A ceasefire that holds imperfectly is still preferable to open hostilities. The nuclear dimension remains the most complex issue. Iran’s agreement to invite IAEA inspectors back is a meaningful concession, one that reopens a window shut after last year’s 12 day conflict. The questions of enriched uranium stockpiles, inspection, and sanctions relief are difficult, and experts are right to warn that the 60-day timeline is ambitious but, for once, the US seems serious about finding a solution to a longstanding conflict.  The world cannot afford another decade of uncertainty, more so with its heavy toll for the global economy. The Switzerland talks showed that when serious people sit together long enough, the impossible begins to look only difficult. Both sides now bear the responsibility of protecting this engagement. The foundation has been laid. Let both the parties now build the architecture of peace. The world can no longer afford to be held hostage to recurrent wars in Middle East.