Kuala Lampur, June 29 -- Wars rarely end with a single signature, a handshake, or a triumphant declaration from political leaders.

More often than not, they end through a gradual process in which each side repeatedly adjusts its expectations of victory and survival until an armistice becomes more valuable than escalation.

This appears to be the stage that the United States and Iran have now entered.

The apparent understanding reached between Washington and Tehran to pause a fresh round of violence has not produced peace in the conventional sense.

But to stand down, both or more sides cannot keep yelling or resorting to megaphone diplomacy. The MOU cannot stand a high decibel shouting match.

For now the MOU has instead produced someth...