Aylık arşivler: Nisan 2026

A War of Nerves

1 Yanıt

April 27, 2026

Merriam-Webster defines the title of this post as “a conflict characterized by psychological tactics (such as bluff, threats, and intimidation) designed primarily to create confusion, indecision, or breakdown of morale”. The targeting and seizures of ships by both Iran and the US in the Strait of Hormuz, and the US naval operations against Iran expanded to the Indian Ocean, the arrival in the region of the third US aircraft carrier can be considered acts of intimidation. Doing his part, Israel’s  Minister Katz has said that Israel is “prepared to resume the war against Iran”, adding that his country is awaiting a green light from the US to return Iran to “the Stone Age”.

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Time for Tough Choices

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April 20, 2026

The Iran-US ceasefire expires on Wednesday. Yet, there is still some uncertainty regarding the second round of the “peace negotiations” in Islamabad. The past ten days have seen intense diplomatic activity, Trump’s flurry of comments and threats, Iran’s defiant statements and vows of retaliation, the IMF’s warning that disruptions to oil markets could slow global growth, and further strains in transatlantic relations. Moreover, it now appears that, for Washington and Tehran, the “marketing of a deal” has also become an important issue, with both sides fighting to win the edge. Thus, the Middle East’s fortune-tellers are at a loss.

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The “Pause”

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April 13, 2026

Last Tuesday, Washington and Tehran agreed, through Pakistan’s mediation, to stop fighting for two weeks. The term used to define the “agreement” was “ceasefire,” often accompanied by the adjective “temporary.” Another word that goes a step beyond “ceasefire” is “armistice,” which refers to a formal agreement between two countries at war to stop fighting for a specific time to negotiate peace. Definitely, the parties in this Middle East war are far from that point.

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