The Memo: Stakes are huge for tense US-Iran talks in Islamabad

The stakes are sky-high and the potential prize is massive in Saturday’s talks between the United States and Iran. But acrobatic leaps of faith will be needed from both sides if they are to even come close to a definitive agreement.

Experts suggest that a more realistic hope is some kind of stabilization that would enable a continuing de-escalation of hostilities. 

Many people in both nations — and around the world — would settle for such an outcome in the wake of the war begun by a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28. 

Even a moderately successful result in the talks, which will take place in the Pakistani city of Islamabad, would represent a welcome injection of calm after a rollercoaster period.

It’s less than a week since President Trump used an obscenity to demand Iran reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz. On Tuesday morning, he threatened that “a whole civilization will die tonight” only to back off that threat and instead accept a ceasefire the same evening. The precise terms of the deal have been bickered over ever since.

Adding another layer of tension and confusion, scrutiny has shifted to Lebanon in recent days.

Israel has invaded its northern neighbor, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu massively intensified airstrikes right after Trump appeared to be poised for peace with Iran. 

More than 200 people were killed in Lebanon on Wednesday alone, with the Israelis claiming to have hit more than 100 targets in a 10-minute period.

Israel says it is trying to counter Hezbollah, the militant group widely seen as an Iranian proxy that frequently fires rockets toward Israel’s northern cities. But Israel’s critics, in Lebanon and beyond, believe Netanyahu........

© The Hill