Give diplomacy a chance

They want to save the region, especially the Middle East, from once again becoming a theater of warfare.

The absence of a firm word from the United States that it will not embark on a misadventure, coupled with its dubious signals that it wants to settle scores with Iran, has kept global peace on tenterhooks.

Thus, the huddle in Istanbul of foreign ministers from Türkiye, Egypt, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia (the R4), along with their counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and the UK, was a serious and highly appreciated attempt toward de-escalating the situation.The Makkah Agreement and the Badr Pact are acting as necessary defensive shields to ward off crises and provide a source of strength.

Keeping an eye on jingoism from the Houthis, as well as Israel, is a sine qua non for preserving the prevailing, uneasy peace.

These two actors are unpredictable and possess the disruptive capacity to derail the CBMs that are being worked out in all sincerity.

At the same time, it is necessary for Washington and Tehran to return to the table and proceed unconditionally with implementing the Islamabad MoU.Bickering over long-term issues, such as the future regional order and the nuclear riddle, will surely act as a distraction.

The need of the hour is to ensure that there is no return to war, and that the two cardinal geo-economic maritime routes – the Bab-El-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz – remain open.

Development bodies fear a recession, and the IMF foresees a 1.7% contraction in global growth.

This can only be warded off by working together toward a broad-based peace agenda, and the meeting in Türkiye was a step in the right direction.It's time to give diplomacy a chance.

Only a sustained dialogue process can lead to a new consensus, paving the way to address regional conflicts that have long acted as a spanner in the wheels of peace.

Resolving the Palestinian dispute must remain on the agenda if a perpetual peace accord is to be attained in the region.

Give diplomacy a chance Editorial | Updated 14 minutes ago | .