All you need to know about Day 27 of US-Israeli war on Iran

This live blog follows updates for Day 27 of the US-Israeli war on Iran. For a recap of Day 26, go here.

• Turkey-operated oil tanker attacked in Black Sea: Transport minister 
• Israeli soldier killed in south Lebanon fighting: Military
• Israel strikes Iran as Trump says Tehran wants deal to end war
• Israel says air defenses responding to Iranian missiles
• China says 'glimmer of hope' on Iran war talks

Israeli chief of staff warns military will ‘collapse in on itself’ due to soldier shortage

Published: March 26, 2026 | 23:29 GMT

The chief of staff of the Israeli military has warned that it will “collapse in on itself” due to growing demand and a shortfall of manpower as it fights multiple fronts.

“I am raising 10 red flags before you,” Eyal Zamir told a security cabinet meeting on Wednesday, according to Israeli media reports. He said that it wouldn’t be long before the military was unable to perform routine missions.

He said the military needs a “conscription law, a reserve duty law, and a law to extend mandatory service.”

Trump postpones Iran power plant strikes, says talks going 'very well'

Published: March 26, 2026 | 20:54 GMT

US President Donald Trump said he would not yet strike Iranian power plants as previously threatened after a request from Tehran, and added that talks with the Islamic Republic were "going very well."

"As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time," Trump said on his Truth Social platform.

"Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well."

Israel army says more troops needed on Lebanese front

Published: March 26, 2026 | 20:07 GMT

The Israeli military said on Thursday it requires additional troops for deployment in southern Lebanon, where forces are engaged in fighting Hezbollah as part of efforts to establish a buffer zone.

"On the Lebanese front, the forward defensive zone that we are creating requires additional IDF forces," military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said in a televised briefing, noting that the military is operating simultaneously across multiple fronts, including the West Bank, Gaza and Syria.

"For that, more combat soldiers are needed in the IDF."

Israel army says another soldier killed in south Lebanon

Published: March 26, 2026 | 18:07 GMT

The Israeli army announced the death in combat on Thursday of a soldier in south Lebanon, just hours after reporting another death from its ranks.

"Sergeant Aviaad Elchanan Volansky, 21, from Jerusalem, a soldier in the 77th Battalion of the 7th Brigade, was killed in action in southern Lebanon," a military statement said.

Four Israeli soldiers have now been killed in fighting in south Lebanon.

Lebanon to file complaint to UN Security Council over Israeli attacks: PM

Published: March 26, 2026 | 18:07 GMT

Lebanon will file a complaint with the UN Security Council over Israel's attacks in the country, the prime minister said Thursday, as Israel continues to strike as part of a campaign against Hezbollah.

Lebanon's government said during a cabinet session that it considers Israel's "actions and statements, under whatever label they may come... to be extremely dangerous, threatening Lebanon's sovereignty, the integrity of its territory, and the rights of its people".

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said: "I request that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants immediately file a complaint with the Security Council in this regard."

At least three loud blasts in northern Tehran: AFP journalist

Published: March 26, 2026 | 16:25 GMT

Warplanes could be heard overhead in northern districts of Tehran on Thursday, shortly before three loud explosions rang out, an AFP correspondent in the Iranian capital said.

The blasts were heard after dark, during rain, and it was not immediately possible to identify what had been hit.

Israel, which earlier said it had killed a senior Iranian naval commander, has announced it plans more "wide-scale" strikes against targets in the Islamic republic.

Trump says taking control of Iran's oil an 'option'

Published: March 26, 2026 | 16:25 GMT

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that taking control of Iran's oil was an "option," comparing it to the deal Washington made with Venezuela after toppling Nicolas Maduro.

"It's an option," Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting when asked if he was looking to take control of Iran's oil, saying that the United States had done "very well" with Venezuela's reserves.

Trump says Iran allowed passage of 10 oil tankers as a 'present'

Published: March 26, 2026 | 16:13 GMT

 Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz as a "present" to show it was serious about negotiations to end the war, US President Donald Trump said Thursday.

Referring to cryptic comments earlier this week about a "gift" from Tehran, Trump said Iran allowed eight "big boats of oil" to transit the waterway earlier this week, followed by two others later on.

'Strong signs' Iran can be convinced to make deal: US envoy Witkoff

Published: March 26, 2026 | 15:32 GMT

US envoy Steve Witkoff said Thursday there were "strong signs" Iran could be convinced to make a peace deal, confirming that Washington had passed a 15-point plan to Tehran through mediator Pakistan.

"We will see where things lead, and if we can convince Iran that this is the inflection point with no good alternatives for them, other than more death and destruction. We have strong signs that this is a possibility," Witkoff told a cabinet meeting.

Trump insists Iran operations 'extremely' ahead of schedule

Published: March 26, 2026 | 15:32 GMT

President Donald Trump said Thursday that US military operations against Iran are "extremely" ahead of schedule, citing an original timeframe of four to six weeks for the war that began nearly a month ago.

"We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission. Twenty-six days in we're extremely, really, a lot ahead of schedule," Trump told his first cabinet meeting since the start of the conflict.

Germany FM says 'encouraging' if US speaking directly to Iran

Published: March 26, 2026 | 15:02 GMT

Germany's foreign minister Thursday said it was encouraging if the United States was talking directly to Iran to end the war in the Middle East, but Washington should make its intentions clear.

"I hear that there are signs that the US is speaking directly to Iran. I think that this is encouraging and this is welcome," Johann Wadephul told reporters before heading into the meeting of G7 foreign ministers outside Paris.

With US Secretary of State Marco Rubio set to join the discussions from Friday, he added: "For the German government it is of great importance to know precisely what our American partners are intending."

Iran responded to US plan via intermediaries, awaiting reply: news agency

Published: March 26, 2026 | 14:52 GMT

Iran has responded through unnamed intermediaries to a 15-point US plan to end the war, news agency Tasnim reported on Thursday, and is now waiting for Washington's reply.

The exact contents of the US plan, conveyed to Iran via Pakistan according to Pakistani officials, are not officially known.

"Iran's response to the 15 points proposed by the US was officially sent last night through intermediaries, and Iran is awaiting the other side's response," Tasnim reported, citing an informed source.

Hezbollah boycotts cabinet session over Iran ambassador expulsion: Lebanese official to AFP

Published: March 26, 2026 | 14:20 GMT

Ministers from Hezbollah and its ally Amal boycotted Lebanon's cabinet session on Thursday in protest over the government declaring the Iranian ambassador persona non grata, a Lebanese official told AFP.

The two Shia parties have a combined four ministers, with one independent Shia also represented in the cabinet present at the meeting, the official said, as the spat over the Iranian diplomat's expulsion escalated.

Hezbollah is an armed movement backed by Iran, which also has political representation in both government and parliament.

Oil jump 5% on Mideast war talks uncertainty

Published: March 26, 2026 | 12:44 GMT

Oil prices surged five percent Thursday as hopes for a peace deal between the United States and Iran wavered.

International benchmark, Brent North Sea crude, jumped 5.2 percent to $107.54 per barrel, while main US oil contract, West Texas Intermediate, advanced 4.9 percent to $94.71, with President Donald Trump warning Tehran to engage in talks "before it is too late".

Iran letting Malaysian oil tankers through Hormuz strait: PM

Published: March 26, 2026 | 12:26 GMT

Iran is letting Malaysian tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz after talks with Iranian, Turkish and other regional leaders, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Thursday.

"We're now in the process of releasing the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so that they can continue their journey home," Anwar said in a televised address in which he also thanked Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Gulf council says members want to be involved in any Iran war talks

Published: March 26, 2026 | 11:52 GMT

Gulf countries said Thursday that they wanted to be involved in any talks between the United States and Iran, insisting that while they had a right to self-defense, they preferred diplomacy.

"We emphasize the necessity of involving the GCC countries in any talks or agreements to resolve this crisis, in a way that contributes to strengthening their security and stability," Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary General Jasem AlBudaiwi said in a televised speech.

AlBudaiwi also said Iran had been asking vessels to pay sums of money to cross the Strait of Homuz.

Trump says US 'needs nothing from NATO'

Published: March 26, 2026 | 11:40 GMT

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the United States "needs nothing from NATO".

"NATO nations have done absolutely nothing to help with the lunatic nation, now militarily decimated, of Iran," he posted on his Truth Social platform.

"The USA needs nothing from NATO".

Turkish-operated oil tanker attacked in Black Sea: Transport minister 

Published: March 26, 2026 | 08:28 GMT

A Turkish-operated oil tanker was attacked early Thursday in the Black Sea, possibly by an unmanned surface vehicle, Turkey's transport minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.

"I can say that a foreign-flagged ship operated by a Turkish company, which had loaded crude oil from Russia, reported an explosion in its engine room after midnight to our emergency call center," the minister said in a televised interview.

"We believe that the engine room was specifically targeted. We think the attack was not carried out by a drone, but by an unmanned surface vehicle at water level."

The minister would not specify if the attack on the Sierra Leone-flagged tanker happened in Turkish waters but local media reported that it took place less than 30 kilometers from the Bosphorus Strait.

"It appears to be an externally caused explosion, particularly directed at the engine room, with the aim of completely disabling the ship," Uraloglu said.

"We have sent the necessary units to the scene and are monitoring the situation," he added.

Israeli soldier killed in south Lebanon fighting: Military

Published: March 26, 2026 | 08:28 GMT

An Israeli soldier was killed in fighting in south Lebanon on Thursday, the military said, after the army announced it was conducting ground operations against Hezbollah.

"Staff sergeant Ori Greenberg, aged 21, from Petah Tikva, a soldier of the Reconnaissance unit, Golani Brigade, fell during combat in southern Lebanon," the military said.

In total, three Israeli soldiers have been killed in fighting in south Lebanon since Hezbollah drew the country into war by launching rocket attacks against Israel on March 2 to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader.

Israel medics say Iranian missile attack leaves 6 wounded

Published: March 26, 2026 | 07:15 GMT

The Israeli military said air defenses responded to missile attacks from Iran on Thursday that according to medics left six people lightly wounded and caused some damage.

A spokesperson for Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said paramedics were providing medical treatment to "six people who were lightly injured by blast effects", updating an earlier toll of two injured.

Earlier on Thursday, a spokesperson for MDA told public radio there was damage to several houses in the central city of Kafr Qassem, whose Mayor Haitham Taha said it was caused by cluster munitions.

The military said Home Front Command rescuers were called to an impact site "in central Israel".

Israel strikes Iran as Trump says Tehran wants deal to end war

Published: March 26, 2026 | 06:47 GMT

Israel launched strikes across Iran on Thursday, hours after US President Donald Trump said Tehran wanted a deal to end the nearly four-week war despite its top diplomat rejecting any talks with Washington.

The conflict has mushroomed to draw in nations around the Middle East, sending energy markets into a tailspin and threatening to torpedo the global economy.

Iran, under near-daily bombardment since a joint US-Israeli attack started the war on Feb. 28, was hit early Thursday by what the Israeli army said was "a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure", including in the central city of Isfahan.

In turn, an Iranian missile attack activated sirens across central Israel including Tel Aviv and parts of Jerusalem on Thursday morning, according to the Israeli military, the first launches it identified from Iran in more than 14 hours.

"They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly," Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.

"But they're afraid to say it, because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," he said. "They're also afraid they'll be killed by us."

The Islamic republic's top diplomat slapped down Trump's comments, saying the country did not intend to negotiate.

"We seek an end to the war on our own terms, of course, and in a way that it will not be repeated here again," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state TV.

Pakistan has passed on a 15-point US plan to stop the fighting to Tehran, two officials in Islamabad said.

But Iran's state-controlled Press TV cited an unidentified official saying Tehran had "responded negatively" to the proposal.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump "does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell" on Iran if no deal is struck.

China's top diplomat Wang Yi, meanwhile, said Thursday that signs both sides could be open to talks offered a "glimmer of hope" for peace.

Israel says air defenses responding to Iranian missiles

Published: March 26, 2026 | 06:47 GMT

The Israeli military said air defenses were responding to missile attacks from Iran on Thursday, with sirens activated across central Israel, parts of Jerusalem and the occupied West Bank.

In two separate statements about 20 minutes apart, the military said it had "identified missiles launched from Iran toward the territory of the State of Israel".

"Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat," the statements said.

After the first attack, the military said people were "now permitted to leave protected spaces in all areas of the country".

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said there were no reports of casualties.

The attacks came more than 14 hours after the military had previously announced incoming missiles from Iran.

China says 'glimmer of hope' on Iran war talks

Published: March 26, 2026 | 04:28 GMT

China's top diplomat has said that a "glimmer of hope" for peace has emerged due to moves to stop the US-Israeli war on Iran, despite Tehran vowing to keep fighting.

China's foreign minister Wang Yi urged dialogue in separate calls with his Turkish and Egyptian counterparts, suggesting that both Tehran and Washington had shown signals they were willing to return to the negotiating table.

"With both the United States and Iran signaling a willingness to negotiate, a glimmer of hope for peace has emerged," Wang told Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, according to a Beijing readout published late Wednesday.

Iran wants war to end 'on our own terms,' guarantee of no repeat: FM

Published: March 26, 2026 | 03:28 GMT

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that Tehran wanted to the end the war on its own terms and in a way that ensured no further war.

"We seek an end to the war on our own terms, of course, and in a way that it will not be repeated here again," he told state TV.

Trump says Iran negotiators fear being 'killed by own people'

Published: March 26, 2026 | 00:01GMT

US President Donald Trump insisted that Iran was taking part in peace talks, suggesting Tehran's denials were because Iranian negotiators fear being killed by their own side.

"They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly. But they're afraid to say it, because they figure they'll be killed by their own people," Trump told a dinner for Republican members of Congress.

Israel military says carried out 'wide-scale' strikes in Iran

Published: March 26, 2026 | 02:28 GMT

Israel's military said Thursday its forces had carried out a wave of strikes across Iran, including in the central city of Isfahan.

A brief military statement said Israeli forces "completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in several areas across Iran."

Australia bans visitors from Iran

Published: March 26, 2026 | 01:15GMT

Australia banned visitors from Iran, saying war in the Middle East increased the risk they would refuse to fly home once their short-term visas expired.

For the next six months, people travelling on Iranian passports will be barred from visiting Australia for tourism or work, the Home Affairs department said.

"The conflict in Iran has increased the risk that some temporary visa holders may be unable or unlikely to depart Australia when their visas expire," it said in a statement.

Some exceptions would be made on a case-by-case basis, the department added, such as for the parents of Australian citizens.

"There are many visitor visas which were issued before the conflict in Iran, which may not have been issued if they were applied for now," Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said.

"Decisions about permanent stays in Australia should be deliberate decisions of the government, not a random consequence of who booked a holiday."

More than 85,000 Australian residents were born in Iran, according to government figures, with vibrant diaspora communities found in major cities such as Sydney and Melbourne.

US says two-thirds of Iranian missile, drone production capacity hit

Published: March 26, 2026 | 00:36GMT

The United States has hit two-thirds of Iran's production facilities for missiles and drones, and a similar proportion of its naval production, a top officer said.

In a video posted on X, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of Central Command, also estimated that 92 percent of the Iranian navy's largest vessels had been damaged or destroyed.

"And my operational assessment is that they've now lost the ability to meaningfully project naval power and influence around the region and around the world."

With the war now in its fourth week, he added that "we remain on plan or ahead of plan in achieving very clear objectives" for the war launched with Israel.

"We have damaged or destroyed over two-thirds of Iran's missile, drone, and naval production facilities and shipyards, and we're not done yet," he said, adding that US forces had now struck over 10,000 military targets.