Even after a ceasefire, the standoff over Kashmir risks escalating into something far worse if nationalist ideology wins out over realism.

Without that ceasefire, the subcontinent would likely have devolved into nuclear war sooner or later—a development that would have been catastrophic for the United States.

Now that India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire after days of missile and drone strikes, there are certain players in the two countries that can use the crisis to bolster their domestic support.