The much-hyped US-Iran framework is unravelling before our eyes. British sources in the Lobby tell me the deal has gaping holes. Core issues remain untouched. Enrichment limits? Vague. Sanctions relief? Conditional. It's a fudge, pure and simple.
Whitehall is spooked. A senior Foreign Office hand described the emerging vacuum as a '£240bn black hole' in regional security. That figure includes lost trade, defence costs, and the price of containing a potentially nuclear-armed Iran. The numbers are eye-watering. And they are real.
Inside Downing Street, the mood is grim. The Prime Minister's phone has been ringing off the hook. Gulf allies are furious. Israel is apoplectic. British diplomats in Washington are being fed platitudes. 'We are still studying the detail,' they say. That is diplomatic code for 'this is a mess'.
The backbench is stirring. A grouping of Tory MPs, usually loyal on foreign affairs, is drafting a letter. They want reassurances. They want clarity. They won't get it. The deal is too thin. The Americans have kicked the can down the road. And the bill is coming due.
Labour is circling. The shadow foreign secretary has demanded an emergency statement. The Speaker has granted one. Expect fireworks. Expect blood.
This is not a deal. It is a reprieve. And reprieves have a nasty habit of ending. The clock is ticking. The vacuum is growing. And Britain is left holding the bag.
