Will US-Iran peace deal hold? – The Latest

The U.S.-Iran peace deal, brokered by Pakistan and announced with fanfare by Trump, is unraveling under scrutiny despite its public celebration. While Trump declares victory and promises oil flow, the agreement remains shrouded in secrecy—no text exists, key details are contradictory, and critical issues like nuclear enrichment, frozen assets, and fees at the Strait of Hormuz remain unresolved. The real cost of the war, however, is not in headlines but in the devastation: 3,000–6,000 Iranian and Lebanese lives lost, entire villages destroyed, and infrastructure obliterated. The deal’s fragility is further exposed by Israel’s refusal to withdraw from southern Lebanon, a third party with no stake in the agreement but immense influence. Meanwhile, the U.S. emerges from the conflict weakened—economically, militarily, and diplomatically—having failed to achieve its original goals. Iran, though battered, may claim moral victory by surviving a war it didn’t initiate. Yet, internally, the regime has shifted toward military dominance, eroding secular power and deepening authoritarian control. The real test lies in the upcoming 60-day technical talks, where the ghost of the 2015 deal looms—but with Trump’s track record, a worse outcome seems likely. The episode reveals a central irony: a deal hailed as a triumph is built on uncertainty, contradiction, and geopolitical theater. Pakistan’s behind-the-scenes diplomacy, once praised, now appears as a high-stakes gamble.