A deal has an element of finality and permanence. A nuclear deal with Iran, for example, would require specific obligations, concessions, and verification measures, such as inspections, agreed to by all parties. What Iran and the United States are moving toward, with a signing ceremony scheduled for Friday in Geneva, is an agreement that could set the conditions for a potential deal. In the meantime, the war's shaky cease-fire would be extended for 60 days and commercial shipping would once again transit the Strait of Hormuz unimpeded. (Neither side has released the agreed-upon text, although U.S. officials said today that Trump, Vice President Vance, and the speaker of Iran's Parliament have already digitally signed on the dotted line.) If all goes to plan, both sides would then use the breathing room to address more complicated issues, such as how to manage Iran's nuclear program, just as they were doing before February 28, when Trump went to war. Although the war has weakened...
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