The Middle East’s bizarre waiting game: ceasefire or Armageddon?

IT WAS HARD not to detect a note of desperation about Antony Blinken. The American secretary of state made his ninth visit to the Middle East since war in Gaza began over ten months ago. The latest round of indirect talks between Israel and Hamas is, he insisted, “a decisive moment” that is “probably the best, maybe the last opportunity” for reaching a ceasefire and a release of Israeli hostages. Yet no deal has been struck yet. During his visit Iran issued another threat of a direct attack on Israel, which “must await calculated and precise strikes”. But the regime appears uncertain of its timetable. It added that “time is on our side and it is possible that the waiting period for this response will be long”.