New Delhi, June 17 -- The end of the war is nigh, going by what US President Donald Trump declared on Sunday. To be sure, utterances on these lines from the White House have been common since 28 February, when the US and Israel attacked Iran. But this time, Tehran seems on board too, at least on an interim framework for peace that looks set to be signed by the US and Iran on Friday.

Reports of a 60-day ceasefire for talks in pursuit of a 'grand' deal have raised hopes of a return to calm in a region convulsed by more than three months of war. But details of this 'memorandum of understanding' (MoU) remain under wraps.

In any case, even if the US and Iran lift their blockades on the Strait of Hormuz after the agreement is signed and there...