Published on: 04/27/2026 - 03:24 Modified on: 04/28/2026 - 04:53
Iran said Monday its army should have authority over the Strait of Hormuz under a proposed law. In Lebanon, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed that he would refuse any "humiliating" agreement with Israel, while Israeli strikes targeted the south and east of the country, despite the ceasefire in force. At the same time, Vladimir Putin received the head of Iranian diplomacy Abbas Araghchi in Moscow. Here is the thread for April 27, 2026.
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Iranian Foreign Minister 'delighted' to have been able to dialogue with Russia
The Iranian Foreign Minister says he is "delighted" to have been able to dialogue with Russia "at the highest level" while the region "is in the midst of change".
“Our relationship continues to grow (...) We welcome Russia's support for diplomacy,” writes Abbas Araqchi on the social network
Donald Trump does not 'like' Iran's latest proposal
American President Donald Trump is unhappy with the latest proposal transmitted by Iran, said an American representative, indicating that it did not answer the question of the Iranian nuclear program, which constitutes one of the main points of contention between Washington and Tehran. “He doesn’t like the proposal,” he said of the head of the White House.
The comments came hours after the White House spokeswoman told a regular press briefing on Monday that Donald Trump had discussed with his top advisers a new Iranian proposal intended to end the conflict, in parallel with the ceasefire reached earlier this month via Pakistan and extended indefinitely by the US president.
Iran revises death toll from Minab school strike to 155
The bombing of the school in Minab, in southern Iran, on the first day of the war in the Middle East at the end of February, killed 155 people including 120 children, according to a downwardly revised toll broadcast Tuesday by state television, Irib.
At the end of March, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi declared before the UN that “more than 175 students and teachers (had) been massacred in cold blood”.
But according to a new report published by Irib and local media, which cite an official of the Iranian judiciary, "73 boys, 47 girls, 26 teachers, seven parents, a school bus driver and a pharmacist from the clinic near the school died as martyrs in the attack on the Minab school."
The bombing of the facility took place on February 28, the first day of the US and Israeli offensive against Iran, which responded by striking targets in Israel and the region.
Stability in the Gulf requires "credible security guarantees" for Iran (UN ambassador)
The return of security and stability in the Gulf requires "credible guarantees" for Iran against any new American-Israeli attack, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations declared on Monday.
“Long-lasting stability and security in the Gulf and the wider region can only be guaranteed by a lasting and permanent cessation of all aggression against Iran, accompanied by credible guarantees of non-repetition and full respect for Iran's legitimate sovereign rights and interests,” Amir Saeid Iravani told a Security Council session.
Israeli strikes kill four in southern Lebanon
The Lebanese Ministry of Health announced that Israeli strikes carried out on the south of the country killed four people including a woman and left 51 injured, including three children, despite the ceasefire concluded between Israel and Lebanon.
According to an AFP count based on Health Ministry figures, Israeli strikes have killed at least 40 people in Lebanon since the fragile truce began on April 17.
Israeli army chief warns troops about acts of looting
Israeli army chief of staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir issued a strong warning to his troops about acts of looting, also saying that using social media to spread "questionable" messages constituted a "red line."
“The phenomenon of looting, if it exists, is shameful and risks tarnishing the image of the Israeli army. If such incidents have occurred, we will investigate them,” he declared in front of officers, according to a military statement.
His comments came after the left-wing Israeli newspaper Haaretz claimed that soldiers in southern Lebanon had looted significant amounts of civilian property, citing testimonies from soldiers and commanders on the ground.
Videos posted on social media showed Israeli soldiers filming themselves joking while damaging property inside homes in what appears to be southern Lebanon. Another image of a soldier using a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus that had fallen from a cross sparked a wave of international condemnation.
Trump met with his security advisers on Iranian proposal
Donald Trump held a meeting on Iran on Monday where an Iranian proposal was discussed, the White House confirmed, while negotiations stall on the ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to navigation.
According to the Axios website, Iran has transmitted to the United States a new proposal aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, and, at a later date only, negotiating on the nuclear issue.
“I can confirm that the president met with his national security team this (Monday) morning” and “the (Iranian) proposal was discussed,” said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt, confirming these press reports.
“The president's red lines regarding Iran have been very clearly established,” she added during a press briefing.
Israeli army chief says 2026 'could still be a year of fighting' on all fronts
Israeli army chief of staff Eyal Zamir said 2026 “could still be a year of fighting” on all fronts, according to a military statement.
“Since October 7 (2023), the army has been engaged in a continuous campaign on several fronts. We remain ready and on alert for the possibility of a resumption of intense fighting on all of these fronts – the year 2026 could still be a year of fighting on each of them,” declared Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir during a meeting with officers.
Netanyahu says Hezbollah rockets, drones force continued military action
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the dual threat of rockets and drones from pro-Iranian Hezbollah required continued military action in Lebanon, according to a statement from his office.
“There are still two main threats coming from Hezbollah: Type 122 rockets and drones. This requires a combination of operational and technological actions,” Benjamin Netanyahu said.
Iran must make “major concessions” to end the war, says the head of French diplomacy
The head of French diplomacy, Jean-Noël Barrot, estimated that Iran must make “major concessions” in peace talks with a view to putting an end to the war in the Middle East.
“There will be no lasting solution to this crisis without the Iranian regime agreeing to major concessions and a radical change of posture,” he declared during a meeting of the UN Security Council.
Bahrain strips nationality of 69 people accused of supporting Iran
Bahrain's Interior Ministry has announced that it will strip 69 people of their nationality, accused of having supported Iran despite repeated Iranian attacks on infrastructure in Gulf countries since the start of the war in the Middle East.
In a press release, the ministry published the list of individuals concerned - specifying that the measure also concerned their dependents - accusing them of having "supported hostile Iranian acts, sometimes in collusion with foreign entities".
The Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy (BIRD), a UK-based NGO, described the measure as "the first massive wave of citizenship stripping since 2019".
Macron promises to discuss with Iran to “address the problem at its root” and reopen the strait
French President Emmanuel Macron promised to discuss with the Iranian authorities to “address the problem” of rising fuel prices “at its root” and try to obtain the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
“The cause of the problem is that today there is this blockade and the Strait of Hormuz which is closed. So we must address the problem at the root, allow things to start again,” launched the Head of State during a visit to Andorra.
He indicated that he would discuss "with the Iranian authorities" at the end of this visit, hoping to "convince" the stakeholders "in the coming days".
“It is important to be able to reopen traffic on both sides to allow gas, oil, fertilizers and goods to pass this strait because it impacts the world economy,” he added.
Israeli defense minister says Hezbollah leader 'playing with fire' in Lebanon
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz affirmed that Hezbollah would lead Lebanon to catastrophe, after the opposition of the leader of this pro-Iranian movement to direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
“Naïm Qassem is playing with fire, and this fire will burn Hezbollah and all of Lebanon (...) If the Lebanese government continues to take refuge under the wing of the terrorist organization Hezbollah, a fire will break out and burn the cedars of Lebanon,” Israel Katz told the UN envoy to Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, according to a statement released by his office.
UN again opposes idea of Iranian 'right of passage' over Strait of Hormuz
The head of the UN maritime agency reaffirmed that there was "no legal basis" for a right of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran says it wants to establish.
“There is no legal basis for the introduction of any taxes, customs duties or fees on straits used for international navigation,” International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez told a news conference.
Iran believes that its army should have authority over the Strait of Hormuz, under a proposed law. Ebrahim Azizi, president of the Parliament's committee on national security, responsible for examining the text, specified on state television that the armed forces would control the strait to, in particular, prohibit the passage of "hostile ships".
The Islamic Republic of Iran is “stable, robust”, its head of diplomacy tells Putin
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Islamic Republic was "stable" and "robust" during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russian state television reported.
During these discussions in St. Petersburg Abbas Araghchi estimated that since the war started by the United States and Israel, "the world has now understood the true power of Iran", and that "it has become evident that the Islamic Republic is a stable, robust and powerful system". He added that Russia stood in solidarity with Iran, and that the two countries would continue their "strategic partnership", according to the same source.
Lebanese president tells Hezbollah 'treason' is dragging country into war
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed that the aim of direct negotiations with Israel was to end the conflict, adding to Hezbollah that the real "betrayal" was dragging Lebanon into the war.
Implicitly responding to the pro-Iranian Hezbollah movement which refuses direct negotiations with Israel, the Lebanese leader estimated that "those who dragged us into the war in Lebanon are now calling us to account for having decided to negotiate... What we are doing is not treason, treason is rather committed by those who drag the country into a war for the benefit of foreign interests."
Putin tells Iranian foreign minister that Moscow will do "everything" to bring peace to the Middle East
Vladimir Putin assured the head of Iranian diplomacy that Russia would do "everything" to help bring peace to the Middle East on Monday during a meeting between the two men in Saint Petersburg.
“For our part, we will do everything that serves your interests, the interests of all people in the region, so that peace can be achieved as quickly as possible,” the Russian president, quoted by Russian state media, told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
UAE criticizes Gulf allies' response to Iranian strikes
A senior Emirati official described the response of its Gulf allies as "weak" after Iran's attacks in the region in response to the Israeli-US offensive.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman established the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 1981, and a common defense agreement was signed in 2000, recalled the advisor to the Emirati president, Anwar Gargash, during a conference in Dubai.
After Israel and the United States launched the offensive on Iran and the conflict spread to the southern shore of the Gulf, "the member states supported each other logistically, but both politically and militarily, I think their position was the weakest historically," he said.
Iran says its army should have authority over the Strait of Hormuz
Iran believes its military should have authority over the Strait of Hormuz under a proposed law, a senior official said today.
Ebrahim Azizi, president of the Parliament's committee on national security, responsible for examining the text, specified on state television that the armed forces would control the strait to, in particular, prohibit the passage of "hostile ships". The project also provides for passage fees to be paid in the local currency, the Iranian rial.
In an interview given on Sunday to the Greek channel ERTNEWS, Ebrahim Azizi notably repeated that "the era of hospitality" in the Strait of Hormuz is now over.
With AFP and Reuters
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