WE have been here before. Throughout the weekend, there was great anticipation that a tentative framework for peace between the US and Iran was close. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had tweeted on Saturday that a deal could be inked within “24 hours”, while US President Donald Trump had made similar comments. But as was witnessed yesterday, Israel played its traditional role as a spoiler by bombing the Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh — a Hezbollah stronghold. This has caused some consternation in the Iranian camp, as contrary to what some commentators were saying, Tehran was not ready to throw its Lebanese ally under the bus. The Iranians have for long been saying that Lebanon must be included in any peace deal with the US. Iran’s top negotiator Bagher Ghalibaf went as far as to claim that the US had greenlit the Beirut attack. In the meantime, efforts have been intensified by regional states, including Pakistan and Qatar, to save the deal, and prevent the negotiations from collapsing.

Mr Trump — as the aggressor in this conflict— has the key to its resolution by forging ahead with the peace deal; to do this, he must rein in Israel. Far too many times since Feb 28, when the US-Israeli attack on Iran commenced, the belligerents have seesawed between war and peace. On nearly every occasion when it seemed that an end to hostilities was near, Israel emerged as the spoiler, preventing the negotiations from reaching a positive conclusion. It is time Mr Trump put his foot down and firmly told his friends in Tel Aviv to not sabotage the deal. True peace in the Middle East is still far off, with the current document being described as an MoU; much heavy lifting in the diplomatic sphere remains to be done. Yet a start is needed. This would entail a long-term ceasefire, CBMs from both sides and goals that are pragmatic and achievable for both the US and Iran. The war and the attendant closure of the Strait of Hormuz have rattled economies across the world, while much innocent blood has been shed in this senseless aggression. Therefore, both parties need to seize the opportunity and sign the deal, as it is not known when the next window may emerge. For peace to win, Israel must be held to account, and stopped from spreading chaos across the Middle East.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2026