Live

Has Iran exposed the limits of what US can achieve by force?

Has Iran exposed the limits of what US can achieve by force?
By Zaid Sabah, Alex Milan Durie, Edna Mohamed, Lorraine Mallinder, Umut Uras and Lyndal Rowlands
Published On 27 Apr 2026

This live page is now closed. You can continue to follow our coverage here.

27 Apr 2026 - 23:59
 (23:59 GMT)

Our coverage continues

This live page is closing, but our 24-hour coverage of the conflict continues.

Join us for all the latest developments, analyses and reactions here.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi meet at the Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library in St Petersburg, Russia, on Monday [Dmitri Lovetsky/Pool/EPA]
27 Apr 2026 - 23:50
 (23:50 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

We are closing this live page soon. Here’s a recap of the day’s main developments before we go:

  • The White House said that Trump’s national security team is discussing a proposal that Iran sent to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a meeting with Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, in St Petersburg, praised Iran’s people for remaining independent.
  • International Maritime Organization chief Arsenio Dominguez told the UN Security Council that “20,000 innocent seafarers“ remain trapped in the Gulf.
  • Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir says Israel needs more soldiers as “2026 is likely to be another year of fighting on” multiple fronts.
  • Israeli attacks killed four people in southern Lebanon, as Lebanon’s Health Ministry said the death toll since March 2 has risen to 2,521 people.
27 Apr 2026 - 23:40
 (23:40 GMT)

Iran needs ‘credible guarantees’ against attacks before Gulf can be stable: Envoy

Iran needs guarantees against another US-Israeli attack before it can ensure security in the oil-rich Gulf, Tehran’s envoy to the United Nations says.

The ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, addressed a Security Council session initiated by Bahrain, in which dozens of countries condemned Iran for exerting control over the crucial Strait of Hormuz.

“Lasting stability and security in the Persian Gulf and the wider region can only be achieved through a durable and permanent cessation of aggression against Iran, supplemented by credible guarantees of non-recurrence and full respect for the legitimate sovereign rights and interests of Iran,” Iravani told the session.

Speaking afterwards to reporters, Iravani complained that countries only criticised Iran and not the naval blockade declared by the US.

“The United States is acting like pirates and terrorists, targeting commercial vessels through coercion and intimidation, terrorising their crews, unlawfully seizing ships, and taking crew members hostage,” Iravani said.

“But no one from those who have expressed their concern for international navigation dares to refer to or condemn this terrorist act at today’s meeting.”

Amir Saeid Iravani, Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations [File: Jeenah Moon/Reuters]
27 Apr 2026 - 23:30
 (23:30 GMT)

US senator slams plan to vet Green Card applicants for anti-Israel views

US Senator Chris Van Hollen has described as “outrageous” a media report that US immigration agents are being trained to reject applicants who criticised Israel.

“Trump plans to deny legal residency in the US based on whether he agrees with your speech,” Van Hollen wrote in a post on X.

“Since when did it become ‘anti-American’ to criticise the actions of a foreign government? Who is he fighting for?” the Democratic senator asked.

 

27 Apr 2026 - 23:15
 (23:15 GMT)

Dozens of nations demand freedom of navigation for Strait of Hormuz

In a joint statement led by Bahrain, dozens of countries reiterated their weeks-long “call for the urgent and unimpeded opening” of the Strait of Hormuz, as negotiations between the US and Iran remain stalled.

Antonio Guterres, the UN secretary-general, told the Security Council that, given the impasse in the negotiations, the world body should support an emergency framework put forth by the International Maritime Organization.

The UN chief warned about the consequences of waiting to address the “worst supply chain disruption since COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine”.

“These pressures are cascading into empty fuel tanks, empty shelves, and empty plates. The humanitarian toll is mounting,” Guterres told the 15-member council.

“I appeal to the parties: open the strait; let ships pass; no tolls, no discrimination; let trade resume; let the global economy breathe.”

He noted that the “prolonged disruption risks triggering a global food emergency, pushing millions, especially in Africa and South Asia, into hunger and poverty”.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN headquarters in New York City on Monday [Angela Weiss/AFP]
27 Apr 2026 - 23:00
 (23:00 GMT)

Photos: Ministers join UN Security Council meeting on maritime security

Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul greets Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani before a Security Council meeting on maritime safety at UN headquarters in New York on Monday [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]
UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar addressed the meeting, which focused on the Strait of Hormuz [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]
Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno also addressed the UN meeting [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]
China’s permanent representative to the UN, Fu Cong, also spoke [Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]

27 Apr 2026 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)
Houthi

US threatens sanctions against companies that work with Iran’s airlines

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says companies that provide services to Iran’s airlines may risk US sanctions under what he called Operation “Economic Fury”.

“Foreign governments should take all actions necessary to ensure that companies in their jurisdictions do not provide services to those aircraft, including the provision of jet fuel, catering, landing fees or maintenance,” Bessent said in a post on X.

“Under Economic Fury, the US Treasury will impose maximum pressure on Iran and will not hesitate to act against any third parties that facilitate or conduct business with Iranian entities.”

The US has already extended its unilateral sanctions against Iran to include an oil refinery in China, as well as 19 shipping companies that own tankers that it says transport Iranian oil.

27 Apr 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

Congresswoman says US must cut Israel support after journalists killed

Israel’s killing of nine journalists in Lebanon so far this year shows the need for the United States to stop military funding for Tel Aviv, US Congresswoman Delia Ramirez has said.

“Whether in Gaza or Lebanon, the Netanyahu government continues to blatantly violate international law using U.S. supplied weapons,” the representative from Illinois said in a post on social media.

Ramirez was responding to Israel’s killing of journalist Amal Khalil in southern Lebanon last week.

“We must pass the Block the Bombs Act. Not one more dollar. Not one more excuse. Not one more bomb,” added Ramirez, a member of the Democratic Party.

Amal Khalil, a veteran correspondent for the newspaper Al-Akhbar, was killed in an Israeli strike last week [AFP]
27 Apr 2026 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Hezbollah claims attacks on Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon

The Lebanese armed group Hezbollah says fighters launched three attacks on Israeli forces inside Lebanese territory on Monday.

According to a statement, Hezbollah soldiers targeted an Israeli military bulldozer while it was demolishing homes in the city of Bint Jbeil, and a Merkava tank in the town of Qantara.

Fighters also targeted two gatherings of Israeli troops in the town of Naqoura, it said.

Hezbollah fighters chant during a funeral procession in southern Beirut [File: Hussein Malla/AP]
27 Apr 2026 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

Israeli strikes kill 4 in southern Lebanon

Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have killed four people, including a woman, according to the National News Agency (NNA).

Air strikes also wounded 51 others, including three children, the NNA reported.

State media reported Israeli air strikes in multiple locations in southern Lebanon, including a dozen sites in the evening.

Israeli attacks have killed at least 40 people in Lebanon since the “ceasefire” began on April 17.

27 Apr 2026 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

Global military spending hit record $2.9 trillion in 2025

With wars raging throughout the Middle East, global military spending hit a record $2.9 trillion last year, marking 11 straight years of growth.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), which released the data, noted that the top three military spenders – the United States, China and Russia – accounted for a combined $1.48 trillion, or 51 percent, of global spending.

Given “the range of current crises”, as well as many states’ long-term military spending targets, growth could continue “through 2026 and beyond”, according to SIPRI.

One crisis that could well see costs soar is the US-Israel war on Iran. US military spending had declined to $954bn in 2025, but the drop is “likely to be short-lived”, the report said.

Similarly, Israel’s spending, which fell 4.9 percent to $48.3bn in 2025 as it wound down its war on Gaza, and Iran’s spending, which fell by 5.6 percent to $7.4bn last year, could change.

27 Apr 2026 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)
Developing

Iran accuses US of ‘armed robbery on the high seas’

Iran’s Foreign Ministry has reacted to the US capture of two Iran-linked oil tankers, the Majestic X and the Tifani.

“This is the outright legalization of piracy and armed robbery on the high seas,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, posting on X.

“Welcome to the return of the pirates – only now, they operate with government-issued warrants, sail under official flags, and call their plunder ‘law enforcement’,” he added.

The US and Iranian militaries each announced the capture of commercial vessels, as Washington and Tehran continue to face off over the Strait of Hormuz.

27 Apr 2026 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)

Vice president says Iran’s steadfastness gave it global influence

Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref says Iran has gained a position of global influence by showing resilience against years of sanctions.

Aref said on X that Western countries are desperately trying to persuade Iran to ease its restrictions on the flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, and are attempting to dictate their policies by imposing crippling sanctions.

“They once refused to sell fuel to our aeroplanes to cripple the Iranian nation. Today, those same countries have come to the negotiating table with Iran to sustain their own energy lifelines,” Aref said in his Farsi-language post.

“This is the result of steadfastness. We have moved from a state of ‘vulnerability to sanctions’ to a position of ‘authority in supplying global needs’.”

27 Apr 2026 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)
Analysis

JD Vance will be MAGA ‘hero’ if he can get US out of war

We have more analysis on Trump’s choice of negotiators to bring the conflict with Iran to an end. Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, real estate developer Steve Witkoff, and Vice President JD Vance are unconventional choices, but what do they bring to the table?

Overall, the president’s trust in the trio is paramount, says Republican strategist John Feehery. “It’s very difficult to negotiate with the Iranians. I mean, they are not easy customers. They’re going to walk out of negotiations. They’re going to do everything they can to delay this because they think, by delaying, it helps them weaken the [US] president,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Witkoff and Kushner are extraordinarily close to Israel, and I think that’s one of the reasons why they’re there,” Feehery added.

The presence of Vance, who demonstrated apprehension over the war and was reportedly requested by the Iranians, works “from a diplomatic standpoint, but also from a prestige standpoint”, he said.

For Vance, who is one of the frontrunners to succeed Trump in the 2028 presidential race, the stakes are high. “The president really did… campaign on the idea he’d keep us out of unpopular wars. So if Vance can get us out of this war, that will, really, kind of make him a hero to the MAGA movement,” said Feehery.

27 Apr 2026 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

Israel cancels major festival over fears of Hezbollah attack

About 100,000 mostly ultra-Orthodox Jews were expected to gather next week on Mount Meron in northern Israel to celebrate the Lag BaOmer holiday.

However, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the festival will be replaced with a smaller, symbolic ceremony, citing concerns about the gathering being attacked by Hezbollah.

Mount Meron is only 6km (4 miles) from the border with Lebanon. People normally light bonfires, dance, and have large meals in honour of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a second-century sage and mystic who is believed to be buried on the mountain.

27 Apr 2026 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)

WATCH: Lebanese families displaced again as Israeli air raids intensify

Israel is calling for more military action in Lebanon while describing Hezbollah rockets and drones as a critical threat.

A ceasefire is officially in place in Lebanon and was even extended recently, but attacks by both sides have continued. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled their homes because of the violence.

Watch below:

27 Apr 2026 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

Pakistan urges diplomacy, maritime cooperation amid Hormuz crisis

Pakistan’s ambassador to the UN has warned that disruptions to global maritime routes, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, pose a serious threat to international peace, economic stability and developing nations.

Speaking at the UNSC on maritime security, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad emphasised that safeguarding sea lanes is essential not only for trade but also for broader development and security goals.

“Global maritime spaces are a key geostrategic arena where the challenges of the 21st century intersect. They are the lifeline of global commerce, bellwether of Earth’s environment,” he said, noting that modern economies depend heavily on uninterrupted seaborne trade.

Ahmad pointed to the ongoing disruption in the Strait of Hormuz as a clear example of how maritime instability can cascade into global crises.

“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its cascading effects on food and energy security and supply-chain disruption is a case in point,” he said.

27 Apr 2026 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)
Analysis

Envoys’ lack of familiarity with Iran nuclear file ‘crucial weakness’

Trump’s choice of negotiators tasked with resolving the conflict with Iran has come in for a lot of criticism, with political loyalty, personal trust and outsider instincts given priority over conventional diplomacy.

Key negotiators since last year have been Trump’s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner and real estate developer Steve Witkoff, a longtime confidant of the president. The pair have been joined by Vice President JD Vance, who led the highest-level talks with Iran in nearly 50 years earlier this month.

None of these personalities is a career diplomat. Is this a problem?

Former US ambassador Gordon Gray said the trio have two things going for them. “One is the fact that they’ve got the trust of the president, and one is the fact that they have instant access to the president,” he told Al Jazeera. “You don’t have to be a diplomat to negotiate successfully.”

But, Gray added, the lack of familiarity with the nuclear file is a crucial weakness. Former US Secretary of State John Kerry – who helped hammer out the last nuclear deal with Iran that Trump ditched in his first term – was not an expert either, “but he was smart enough and self-aware enough to bring nuclear experts with him to the negotiations”.

Iran’s trust in Witkoff and Kushner is in short supply, given that last year’s negotiations with Iran ended with the 12-day war. Gray noted Trump’s decision to add Vance to the team was “specifically requested by the Iranian side” and “probably a smart move”.

27 Apr 2026 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)
Analysis

Trump likely to accept Iran proposal to end war, former US official says

Iran’s proposal to end the war will likely be accepted by the Trump administration in order to relieve the burgeoning economic impact threatening the global economy, a former senior US official says.

Trump and his top security advisers are currently reviewing Iran’s offer.

“The top of the agenda has to be reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” Henry S Ensher told Al Jazeera.

He said the nuclear issue will be “difficult to settle” going forward, but it’s “easier to get the Strait of Hormuz” done.

Asked if he believes Trump will go for Iran’s proposal, Ensher replied: “I suspect at the end that’s where it will end up … I suspect they’ll put the nuclear negotiations on a different timeframe … The strait is more amenable to a quicker solution.”

He said reopening the Hormuz trade route without any conditions will be a “strategic victory for Iran – no way to soft-pedal that, but I think the Americans will find it necessary to do that given the damage that’s being done to the economy right now”.

27 Apr 2026 - 19:30
 (19:30 GMT)

Netanyahu claims 90 percent of Hezbollah’s weapons depleted

Netanyahu met the military top brass and claimed the Lebanese group has only about 10 percent of its arsenal left.

He said the figure was based on a comparison with missiles held “at the start of the war”, though it’s unclear which war he meant – the conflict that unfolded alongside the genocidal war on Gaza or the current one, which has played out since the start of the US-Israel war on Iran.

Lebanon is under heavy pressure from Israel and the US to disarm Hezbollah, but the group is believed to have tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones left.

Netanyahu also said deals brokered with the US and Lebanon have given the country “freedom of action to thwart immediate and emerging threats”.

“We are attacking in the security zone and north of the Litani,” he said of ongoing Israeli attacks that have killed 2,521 people in Lebanon since March 2.