Day 57 of the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Trump sent two of his closest people to Pakistan - special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. The goal: mediated talks with Iran. The problem: Tehran didn't come.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Islamabad - but officially for bilateral talks with Pakistan. Communication with Washington, if any, will go only through Pakistani intermediaries. Direct meeting? No. The nuclear program on the negotiating table? A red line, Iranian officials said.

In parallel, on the ground: Israel reports strikes on Hezbollah rocket launching pads in Lebanon - despite the existing ceasefire. American ships stationed at the Hormuz Strait, part of the naval blockade. And Iran, for eight consecutive weeks, has kept the internet shut down for its own citizens.

The pressure is enormous - and that is precisely why Iran is playing for delay. Any direct meeting would be internally devastating for the regime. Any concession on the nuclear file makes everything negotiable. Pakistan is a comfortable buffer: technically they are still talking, practically - nothing is agreed.

Does this lead to peace or escalation? The answer depends on how long Tehran can hold these positions under American and Israeli pressure. And the balance - today, on day 57 - looks very unstable.