2h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 12:33amA recap of the latest eventsDonald Trump has singled out Australia while accusing allies of failing to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wouldn’t comment on the remarks, but made the point Australia wasn’t consulted on America and Israel’s decision to start attacking Iran.The US president has also extended his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to April 6, saying he will hold off on bombing Iran’s energy plants and that talks are going “very well”.Earlier he said the US will be Iran’s “worst nightmare” if the country does not agree to a peace deal, saying that Iran is the one “begging to make a deal”.US special envoy Steve Witkoff says Tehran has shown signs it is interested in a deal, but an Iranian official has told Reuters the US 15-point plan is “one-sided and unfair”.A trickle of ships has been let through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump says Iran has allowed 10 ships to pass as a “present”.Israel’s main opposition leader says the IDF is “stretched to the limit and beyond”. It comes after media reports the IDF military chief said the force was “on the verge of collapse”, as it fights on multiple fronts.
Donald Trump has singled out Australia while accusing allies of failing to help the US secure the Strait of Hormuz.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he wouldn’t comment on the remarks, but made the point Australia wasn’t consulted on America and Israel’s decision to start attacking Iran.The US president has also extended his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz to April 6, saying he will hold off on bombing Iran’s energy plants and that talks are going “very well”.Earlier he said the US will be Iran’s “worst nightmare” if the country does not agree to a peace deal, saying that Iran is the one “begging to make a deal”.US special envoy Steve Witkoff says Tehran has shown signs it is interested in a deal, but an Iranian official has told Reuters the US 15-point plan is “one-sided and unfair”.A trickle of ships has been let through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump says Iran has allowed 10 ships to pass as a “present”.Israel’s main opposition leader says the IDF is “stretched to the limit and beyond”. It comes after media reports the IDF military chief said the force was “on the verge of collapse”, as it fights on multiple fronts.Stay with us as we bring you the latest today.
20m agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 2:43am
IRGC says it carried out attacks on Israeli and US forces
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it has carried out missile and drone strikes targeting sites in Israel and military facilities in the Gulf that are used by US forces.
The strikes yesterday involved long- and medium-range missiles and “destructive and roaming drones”, and targeted sites in Israel, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain, the IRGC said in a statement carried by the IRNA and Fars news agencies.
The statement said a maintenance facility for US air defence system Patriot was targeted in Bahrain.
Reporting with AFP
46m agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 2:17am
Iran sends letter to UN over threats against government officials
Iran has sent a letter to the United Nations over claims that the country’s foreign minister and parliament speaker had been “targets for assassination”.
The letter, dated Thursday and signed by ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani, focused on media reports that Israel and the US had spared Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf for the time being amid negotiations to reach a ceasefire.
“The reports indicate the existence of an operational framework contemplating the assassination of the highest-ranking political officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the letter reads.
It added: “The conditional nature of the purported ‘suspension’ further underscores that the threat remains real, deliberate and ongoing.”
The letter called any such program “state-sponsored terrorism”.
The war’s opening air strikes by Israel killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Other military commanders have been killed as well.
Qalibaf has been considered a possible negotiating partner to the US, while Araghchi has continued diplomatic outreach.
Pakistan is leading an indirect exchange of positions between Tehran and Washington, supported by Egypt and Türkiye.
Reporting with AP
1h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 1:58amIsrael military says it’s carried out ‘wide-scale’ strike on Tehran
Israel’s military says its forces have carried out strikes on “infrastructure” targets in Tehran.
A brief military statement said Israeli forces “completed a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting infrastructure of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of Tehran” on Friday morning, local time.
We’ll bring you more when it becomes available.
Reporting with AFP
1h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 1:47am
📷 War enters its fourth week
1h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 1:23am
Explosions heard from south Beirut as local media report Israeli strike
Lebanese media has reported an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs this morning.
AFP correspondents heard several explosions from the Hezbollah stronghold, which Israel has repeatedly struck since war erupted this month.
Israel has previously issued sweeping evacuation warnings for the area, but provided no specific warning in advance of the latest strike, which came in the early hours of Friday morning.
The usually densely populated area has largely emptied of residents since the hostilities erupted. It was unclear whether there were any casualties.
AFP
1h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 1:09am
Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile could be key to ending war
Hidden in the mountains of Iran, there is a stockpile of canisters that could determine the future of the war.
The large steel tanks are filled with 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium, the key ingredient for a nuclear bomb.
It has been described as the “crown jewels” of Iran’s nuclear program.
A move from Israel or the US to find and secure this stockpile would be dangerous, but experts say it’s one of the only ways to end the war and prevent it from returning.
The ABC’s Europe correspondent Elias Cure in London has more below:
2h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 12:53am
Thai ship hit in Hormuz runs aground off Iran’s Qeshm Island, Iranian media reports
You may have seen our reporting about a Thai-flagged cargo ship that was hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz a few weeks ago.
Thailand said 20 crew members were rescued by the Omani navy, while three were missing after an explosion in the stern of the ship, Mayuree Naree, causing a fire in the engine room.
Earlier this week the ABC’s Asia editor, Karishma Vyas, spoke to the wife of one of the missing sailors, who said she was hoping for a “miracle”.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency is now reporting the ship has run aground off Iran’s Qeshm Island.
2h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 12:39am
Iran bans sports teams from travelling to ‘hostile’ countries
Iran has banned national and club sports teams from travelling to countries it considers hostile until further notice, Iranian media has reported.
The reports, citing the sports ministry, say the move is due to concerns over the safety of Iran’s athletes.
The ministry added the Iranian football federation and clubs were required to notify the Asian Football Confederation so match venues could be relocated.
It cited in its statement club team Tractor FC playing a United Arab Emirates team in Saudi Arabia, but did not specify which games needed to be relocated or which countries were deemed hostile.
Iran has qualified for this year’s World Cup, which is being jointly hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico, although their participation in the soccer tournament has been under threat since the conflict broke out in late February.
Reporting with Reuters
2h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 12:23am
Opposition leader questions whether Australia received additional requests for help from US
Earlier this morning, Opposition Leader Angus Taylor questioned what requests the government had received from the US for assistance in the Middle East.
Overnight, Donald Trump said he was “surprised” Australia hadn’t provided support to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles this morning said the only request the government had received from the US was to help defend Gulf states from Iranian attacks.
Taylor says any decision about deploying military capability in the Middle East needs to be in the national interest.
But he questioned whether the government had received additional requests from the United States.
Taylor says the US president’s comments suggest that further requests have been made of the Australian government.
“What requests has the government received from the United States for support in the Middle East beyond what we already know? What requests have been received?” Taylor says.
“Those comments suggest is there have been requests received. We’d like to know what they are.”
2h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 12:13am
PM not ‘precious’ about Australia not being informed of US strikes on Iran
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has been asked whether he thinks Australia is not obligated to be involved in the Middle East war because Australia wasn’t consulted earlier.
Albanese says he’s not “precious” about that, that the US can make its own decisions, and that it “did so”.
“We made a decision as well about what our response would be. And we continue to engage constructively,” Albanese says.
“We have abhorrence for the Iranian regime. It remains in place, though, today. That is a fact.”
Albanese says the government wants to see a de-escalation because the war is having a “massive global impact”.
Read more on this press conference in our federal politics live blog below:
2h agoFri 27 Mar 2026 at 12:04amAustralia wasn’t consulted on US military action in Iran, PM says
Anthony Albanese and Donald Trump. (Reuters: Kevin Lamarque)
The prime minister has been asked for his response to Donald Trump’s overnight comments about Australia.
The US president said he was “surprised” Australia hadn’t provided support to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Anthony Albanese says he enjoys a constructive relationship with Trump, and he won’t comment on his remarks.
But he says Australia was not consulted ahead of the military action in Iran.
“I make the point as well that Australia wasn’t consulted before this action was undertaken. And I respect that. That’s a matter for the United States,” Albanese says.
He says the government has provided a Wedgetail aircraft to help the United Arab Emirates defend itself against Iranian attacks.
3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 11:58pm
Energy minister says supply of oil and diesel remains unchanged
Chris Bowen. (ABC News: David Sciasci)
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says Australia’s supply of petrol, diesel and oil remains the same.
The energy minister says supplies to regional NSW and Queensland have been increasing to meet high demand.
“The demand is very high still, and the supply is also increasing and has increased,” Bowen says.
“The government has always acknowledged there are real and unacceptable shortages in regional Australia as the demand has spiked so much and it’s taken time for that strong domestic supply.”
3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 11:52pm
PM says shoring up Australia’s fuel supply could get more difficult in coming months,
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says while the fuel supply outlook looks good in the short term, it will likely get more difficult in the coming months.
He says six tankers carrying jet fuel will arrive in Australia from China.
“I can assure Australians we’re working around the clock, and I want us to have the strongest possible plan, so we’re ready as well — overprepared — for what may come,” Albanese says.
3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 11:47pmPM says government is doing everything to ‘shield’ Australians from impact of war
Anthony Albanese. (ABC News: Simon Beardsell)
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has held a press conference in Canberra after a national security committee meeting he says was the 16th since the Middle East war began.
“Our government is undertaking every practical measure required to shield our nation form the worst of the global uncertainty,” he said.
“This war is real. This war is having an impact on Australians like it’s having an impact right around the world.”
3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 11:31pm
Minister refuses to be drawn on Trump’s comments about Australia
Australia’s environment minister, Murray Watt, has refused to be drawn on Donald Trump’s remarks about Australia’s contribution to the Middle East.
The US president said overnight he was “surprised” Australia hadn’t provided support to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has extended his deadline for Iran to reopen the strait, giving it until April 6 and saying he will hold off on bombing Iran’s energy plants.
Speaking to ABC Radio National Breakfast, Watt says the government has a “strong interest” in seeing the conflict resolved soon rather than later.
“We’re not going to give a running commentary on the various statements of President Trump,” Watt says.
“I’m not aware of any further request having been made of Australia.”
3h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 11:19pm
Trump says US has ‘already won’ the war
Earlier we brought you news that US President Donald Trump had extended his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.
“As per Iranian Government request … 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 in a post on Truth Social.
Afterwards he told Fox News: “I gave them a 10-day period. They asked for seven.”
He also said he thinks the US has won the war.
“In a certain sense, we have already won,” Trump said.
There has been no reaction yet from Iran to those comments.
Iran has not asked for a 10-day pause on strikes on its energy plants, The Wall Street Journal cited peace talk mediators as saying.
4h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 11:00pmIsrael opposition leader says troop shortage could trigger ‘security disaster’
Israel’s main opposition leader, Yair Lapid, has accused the government of steering the country towards a “security disaster” because of a shortage of combat soldiers.
“The IDF is stretched to the limit and beyond. The government is leaving the army wounded out on the battlefield,” Lapid said in a televised statement.
Israeli soldiers near the Israeli side of the border with Lebanon. (Reuters: Tyrone Siu)
It echoed a warning delivered a day earlier by military chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir to the security cabinet, according to Israeli media reports.
“The government is sending the army into a multi-front war without a strategy without the necessary means and with far too few soldiers,” Lapid said.
Media reports quoted Zamir as telling the security cabinet that “the IDF is on the verge of collapse”.
Commenting on the troop shortage in a televised briefing Thursday, military spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin said that “more combat soldiers are needed” on a range of fronts, notably in Lebanon.
Lapid called for drafting men from the ultra-Orthodox Haredi community, which since the creation of Israel in 1948 has been exempt from mandatory military service.
Reporting with AFP
4h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 10:40pm
What’s next on ceasefire efforts?
There are reports that American and Iranian officials could meet sometime in the coming days in Islamabad, Pakistan, to hash out a way forward for ending this conflict.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X that Pakistan was ready to “facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks” to end the fighting.
If that happens, it would be considered a monumental step forward — but not necessarily enough to ensure ongoing negotiations for an end to the war.
Another possibility is major military escalation.
Right now, about 5,000 additional US troops are on their way to the Middle East.
Washington isn’t revealing whether or not those troops could lead a ground invasion in Iran or try to seize Iran’s oil export hub of Kharg Island.
Trump has already warned that if Iran doesn’t accept a deal, he will “unleash hell”.
Iran, likewise, has promised to increase its attacks on US assets and Gulf states and threatened to open up another front with its proxy militia, the Houthis, in Yemen.
Because of all these factors, some analysts argue a ceasefire in the Middle East — while not impossible — may be unlikely in the short term.
Read more below:
4h agoThu 26 Mar 2026 at 10:32pm
How likely is a deal between the US and Iran?
There is a chasm between the demands made by the US and Iran.
Analysts argue that both sides are trying to come at each other from maximalist positions that are likely to be watered down during any eventual negotiations.
Donald Trump held a cabinet meeting at the White House. (Reuters: Evelyn Hockstein)
Experts argue that many of the US’s objectives around ballistic missile and nuclear programs will be difficult to achieve.
While Iran’s demands around the Strait of Hormuz will be problematic for the White House, which will want to avoid future ransom scenarios, Iran’s demands will be problematic for the White House.
The US may also face resistance from Israel, which has already warned its ally of making a “bad deal” with the Islamic Republic.
Read more below: