Media: Trump Sets Ceasefire Deadline for Iran to End on the 26th

Xinhua News Agency, Jerusalem, April 22 (Reporters Wang Zhuolun, Chen Junqing) Israeli media reported on the 22nd that Israel has learned from the United States that President Trump’s deadline for extending the ceasefire with Iran will expire on the 26th. Israeli media believes that unless one side makes a "significant concession," it will be difficult to reach an understanding.

The U.S. Axios news website earlier reported, citing U.S. sources, that Trump is willing to extend the ceasefire for another 3 to 5 days, but the ceasefire will not be extended indefinitely; he is giving all parties in Iran a "brief window." The Times of Israel stated that this deadline is basically consistent with what Israeli media reported as expiring on the 26th.

Israel's public broadcasting company reported that day, citing multiple sources, that Trump is seeking to reach a "substantive understanding" with Iran, rather than just initiating a negotiation process. Israeli assessments suggest that U.S.-Iran negotiations are unlikely to yield results, and once diplomatic efforts fail, Israel and the U.S. are prepared to "immediately" resume military operations.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that although Trump has not publicly announced a specific deadline, the U.S. government has informed Israel that the new ceasefire deadline will end on the 26th. Reports indicate that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is expected to hold further consultations on the 23rd and continue preparations on both defensive and offensive levels to respond to the situation if the deadline expires without an agreement.

Reports state that since the ceasefire began two weeks ago, Israel and the U.S. have been continuously preparing for a possible resumption of operations, including conducting exercises with aircraft and aerial refueling in multiple locations in the Middle East. Additionally, sources revealed that during U.S. Central Command Commander Brad Cooper's visit to Israel last week, both sides approved a joint action plan and developed a target list that includes Iran's national infrastructure and energy facilities.