First modification: 04/26/2026 - 14:36 Last modification: 04/28/2026 - 01:20
The Israeli Army bombed southern Lebanon this Sunday, after ordering the evacuation of seven towns, accusing Hezbollah of violating the ceasefire. The Lebanese group reversed the accusation and warned that it will respond to any violation. In parallel, Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi proposed a regional security scheme without the United States in Oman, before traveling to Pakistan to continue peace negotiations without the presence of the United States and now reported that he is heading to Russia.
The essentials:
Below is the most important information from the day of April 26 related to the conflict in the Middle East, which escalated after the joint offensive by Israel and the United States against Iran and Tehran's subsequent military response:
Rubio defends maritime blockade of Iran
The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubio, defended this Monday the naval blockade that the Central Command has maintained for more than 15 days against the ports of Iran, amid uncertainty about the future of peace negotiations with Tehran.
"The blockade is not a blockade against maritime transportation, it is a blockade against Iranian transportation," Rubio said in an exclusive interview with Fox News.
Iran presented the United States with a proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, according to 'Axios'
The future of oil prices
Goldman Sachs, one of the largest and most powerful financial institutions in the world, has raised its oil price forecasts for the fourth quarter of this year, to $90 per barrel for Brent crude oil and $83 per barrel for US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil, due to lower production in the Middle East due to the conflict in Iran.
"Economic risks are greater than our base case suggests, given the net upside risks to oil prices, unusually high refined product prices, product shortage risks and the unprecedented magnitude of the impact," GS analysts, led by Daan Struyven, said in an April 26 note.
International oil prices on the rise
Oil prices rose in Asian time trading on Monday, April 27, due to stalled peace talks between the United States and Iran, while shipments through the Strait of Hormuz remained limited, keeping global oil supplies tight.
Pre-market prices for Bren crude oil rose 2.11% to $107.55 per barrel at 22:02 GMT, and US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil stood at $96.42 per barrel, up 2.14%.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi travels to Moscow
Iran's Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi, left this Sunday for Moscow to meet with senior Russian officials and address the regional situation, as confirmed by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on its Telegram account.
Araqchi visited Pakistan twice in less than 48 hours, while Trump canceled his envoys' trip to Islamabad and suggested talks could be held by phone.
Is progress receding in negotiations between Iran and the US in Pakistan?
Hopes of a negotiation between Iran and the United States seem to be dissipating due to delays in talks and after the cancellation of the flight of Donald Trump's representatives to Islamabad on April 25.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi proposed in Oman to create a regional security framework in the Persian Gulf and is preparing to return to Pakistan in the coming days.
Our correspondent, Adrià Rocha, reports from Istanbul.
Russia confirms the visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi to Moscow
Russia confirmed this Sunday that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin.
According to the Iranian ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, the meeting scheduled for Monday aims to consult the Russian position on the status of negotiations with the United States and the ceasefire.
Israel reports the death of a soldier in southern Lebanon amid ceasefire
The Israeli army announced this Sunday the death of Sergeant Idan Fooks, 19, in an incident in southern Lebanon that also left six soldiers injured.
This occurs amid a fragile ceasefire with Hezbollah in force since April 17. Israel reserves the right to respond to attacks and hits Lebanese group targets in the area almost daily.
Hezbollah claims Israel violates truce and rejects Netanyahu's accusations
Hezbollah has accused Israel of violating the ceasefire with Lebanon and has warned that violations will be met with resistance.
In a statement, Hezbollah rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's accusations that the group's actions were threatening the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, as he vowed to "vigorously" attack the Iran-backed group.
Hezbollah claimed that its attacks on Israeli troops inside Lebanon were a "legitimate response to ceasefire violations."
Lebanon: death toll from Israeli attacks exceeds 2,500
The Lebanese Ministry of Health reports this Sunday that the death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2 has exceeded 2,500.
Iran's Foreign Minister travels from Muscat to Islamabad
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has returned to Islamabad after his visit to Oman to resume talks on a framework to permanently end the war against his country.
Presenting Tehran's position to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Araqchi on Saturday questioned the seriousness of US diplomacy after President Donald Trump canceled his envoys' trip to Pakistan, leaving the peace process in a phase of uncertainty.
Starmer and Trump agree on the "urgent need" to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump held a phone call in which they stressed the urgency of restoring shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz to mitigate the impact on the global economy.
During the conversation, Starmer detailed the progress of the freedom of navigation initiative that he leads together with French President Emmanuel Macron, to ensure the passage of commercial ships after the fragile ceasefire between Washington and Tehran.
Israel begins attacks in the south after an evacuation warning (Lebanese media)
Lebanese official media reported that the Israeli Army began attacking the south of the country this Sunday after issuing an evacuation warning for seven towns, despite the ceasefire in force with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group.
"Israeli fighter jets launched an attack" on Kfar Tibnit, one of the locations included in the warning, the state-run National News Agency said, adding that there were reports of casualties.
Israel's military has carried out repeated attacks in Lebanon since the truce went into effect on April 17, and its troops operate within what they call a "yellow line" announced by Israel near the border, where Lebanese residents have been warned not to return.
Iran seeks regional security framework without US presence in talks with Oman
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met in Muscat with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq al-Said to discuss security in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict with the United States.
During the meeting, Araqchi stated that the US military presence generates insecurity and division in the Middle East, which is why he advocated establishing a regional security system managed exclusively by the countries in the area and free of external interference, according to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Israeli army orders the evacuation of seven towns in southern Lebanon
According to the publication of the Israeli Army spokesperson, Avichay Adraee, on the social network
The warning states that, due to violations of the ceasefire agreement by Hezbollah, military forces will act firmly in these areas, and civilians are urged to immediately move away to a minimum distance of 1,000 meters from the specified areas and any installations linked to the organization to ensure their safety.
Execution of a man convicted of belonging to a jihadist group in Iran
Amer Ramesh was arrested during an anti-terrorist operation carried out in Chabahar county, in the province of Sistan and Balochistan (southeast), according to Mizan Online, the judicial branch, without specifying the date.
He was later sentenced to death for "armed rebellion, bomb attacks and ambushes against military personnel," as well as for membership in Jaish al-Adl, a group banned in Iran and included on the United States list of terrorist organizations.
Welcome to the coverage of the most relevant events of the day of April 26 related to the war in the Middle East.
With information from EFE, AFP. Reuters, AP and local media.
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