On: Iran war: US says ready to resume war if no deal reached

The statement from the department was clear. It indicated that the cessation of hostilities was a provisional measure, pending the successful negotiation of a final agreement. The final agreement, it was further clarified, would require the acceptance of certain preliminary conditions, described as red lines. The other party, however, has issued a counter-statement, indicating that no final agreement yet exists. This is correct. A final agreement cannot exist until the preliminary conditions are met. The preliminary conditions, however, cannot be formally established as valid until they are incorporated into a final agreement. The department has therefore announced it is prepared to resume the previous state of affairs. This is not a threat, but a procedural necessity. One cannot remain indefinitely in the antechamber of a negotiation; if the door to the final chamber will not open, one must return to the waiting room from which one came. The waiting room, of course, has its own procedures. It requires a state of alertness, a posture of readiness. The readiness is not for war, but for the possibility of a return to the process that leads to the negotiation about the final agreement. I read this and understand the mechanism perfectly. It is the same as being told my application is incomplete, though all requested documents are attached, because a new form has been issued for the attestation of the completeness of the attachments. The old form, which declared the attachments complete, is no longer valid. I must begin again. And so they are beginning again. The official is helpful. He says they are more than capable of processing the resumption. It is simply the next step.