US-Iran talks in Islamabad fail

The Guardian is pessimistic:

“The talks in Islamabad didn’t fail accidentally; the US and Iran were talking past each other. … The ceasefire runs out in little over a week. The talks are not over, but there’s a stalemate. However, the logic of escalation is taking hold. Iran is unlikely to back down – opting instead to test US resolve at sea. A full-scale ground offensive may be constrained for now by the Gulf’s summer heat, but the conflict risks shifting into more dangerous forms – naval confrontation, airstrikes and proxy warfare – with no way out. There will be no winners in such a scenario, only losers.”