Some dates do not just mark a deadline. They brutally reveal the truth of a power struggle. April 22, 2026, is one of those dates. Officially, this date is the deadline for the two-week truce concluded on April 8 between the United States and Iran. In reality, it is more than a technical date. This is the moment when we will know whether diplomacy still manages to slow down war or if it is no more than a secondary language within a military logic already revived. The European Union already recognised on April 8 that this truce should lead, “in the days to come,” to a lasting negotiated settlement while explicitly linking this effort to freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The key point is this: April 22 probably won’t be a day of peace; it will be a day of clarification. For several days, the negotiations mediated by Pakistan have ceased to aim at a strategic agreement. Washington and Tehran have lowered their ambitions and are now seeking a temporary memorandum........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)