The parallels could not have been more poignant. Days before the 107th anniversary of one US President signing a 14-point peace agenda in a gilded hall at Versailles, another followed suit in the sprawling palace outside Paris. More than a century ago, Woodrow Wilson needed several months after the signing to reconcile competing proposals and secure peace after the First World War. This time, the hope is that Donald Trump will expend enough political capital to iron out the remaining differences and rein in Israel’s roguish belligerence, delivering a lasting peace in West Asia.
Over the 114 days since Israel and the US launched their war on Iran, the world has repeatedly swung between hope and despair, with temporary ceasefires giving way to renewed hostilities. On Sunday, American and Iranian negotiators met in the Swiss town of Bürgenstock, alongside Pakistani and Qatari mediators, to advance the 14-point memorandum of understanding towards a peace pact envisaged by mid-August. All sides appeared clear that the most pressing issue was the conduct of someone not in the room. The US President and Vice President voiced their harshest warnings yet for the Benjamin Netanyahu government to toe the line drawn by their biggest benefactor. For the other side, the Iranian foreign ministry said the momentum towards peace would depend on Israel’s actions in Lebanon. The limits of Iran’s nuclear options and a mechanism to keep the Strait of Hormuz open were the other technical points on the agenda, along with the flow of funds to Iran that the memorandum of understanding promises.
Iran, bitten twice in a year by Israel, also wants to ensure a longer-term structured assurance against repeated attacks. Perhaps the world, reminded afresh of what one choked maritime passage can wreak on the global economy, should use this moment to think ahead with the collective wisdom of hindsight. The 1919 Treaty of Versailles had led to the formation of the League of Nations, an unequal high table that seeded resentments. In an era when multiple disruptions are redefining geopolitics, we must design a fresh template beyond the UN charter to ensure equitable global governance. The world is again facing an imperative Georges Clemenceau had articulated after the Versailles Treaty, “Now we have to win the peace, and it may be more difficult.” But first, a durable armistice.