The 60-day US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding has expired without a permanent agreement, leaving both sides once again confronting the possibility of a deeper conflict. Washington and Tehran remain divided over sanctions, the Strait of Hormuz and the terms for renewed negotiations, while increasingly confrontational rhetoric suggests neither side is preparing to compromise easily. With regional powers attempting to contain the fallout and Iran signalling a potentially harder security posture, has the ceasefire achieved anything, and is there still a realistic path back to diplomacy?

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