The Historic Peace Lasted Ten Days: The US Struck Iran Again, the Signature Fell Apart at the First Drone

The "historic" peace lasted ten days. The US carried out airstrikes on Iran in retaliation for an Iranian drone attack on a loaded ship in the Strait of Hormuz - the first American military action since the two countries signed a truce on June 17. So much for deals proclaimed as turning points; in the Balkans we know well what signatures are worth when interests collide.

The truce, called the "Islamabad Declaration," was struck between presidents Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian and announced something almost impossible: lifting the American naval blockade, reopening Hormuz to free trade, temporary permits for the export of Iranian oil, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets abroad. There was even a 60-day deadline for comprehensive negotiations, including the nuclear program. On paper - a diplomatic breakthrough. In reality - until the first drone.

The American command announced it had struck Iranian missile and drone depots, radar positions and coastal targets. Iran immediately struck back - the Revolutionary Guard claims it hit American military positions in the region. Trump called the drone attack a "stupid violation of the truce," and vice president Vance declared that "violence will be met with violence." Rhetoric that sounds familiar to anyone who has watched peace promises fall apart.

Why does this matter to us too? Because the Strait of Hormuz is the chokepoint through which a huge share of the world's oil passes - and every closure or escalation there is felt at the pumps across the world, ours included. When two proud rivals play at war, the price is paid by those who have no connection to the conflict. The question isn't whether the truce will hold, but how many such "truces" it takes for someone to realize that a signature without trust is just a pause between two blows.