Day 212 of the WarSunday, September 27, 2026
Day 212 — Araghchi Ready for 'Apocalyptic War' or Diplomacy; IRGC Claims Hits on 19 Ships; Critics Handed Prison Terms
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Washington · New YorkStrait of HormuzWashingtonTehranShahriar
In Tehran — Prison Terms for Critics, an NPT Fight and a Winter Gas Gap
Iran- The judiciary sentenced journalist Abbas Abdi to a year in prison over an article in Etemad, which was suspended for two months, gave Sadegh Zibakalam a year plus a two-year media ban, upheld a suspended year for Heshmatollah Falahatpisheh and fined journalist Siamak Rahmani, per RadioFarda.source
- MP Mohammad Mehdi Shahriari told Jamaran that quitting the NPT in wartime 'would mean building nuclear weapons,' which Tehran does not intend, said Mojtaba Khamenei stresses avoiding such weapons, and predicted the NPT-exit bill and motions to impeach Araghchi would win only about 70 votes each, per Iran International.source
- First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref said war damage has knocked 250 million cubic meters of gas out of the network, the government aims to restore 100 million before winter, and may be 'forced to implement some power outages' to keep industry running, per Iran International.source
- Basij chief Hossein Taeb said 'we stand firm' and insisted Hormuz is closed, claiming the Americans 'force through several ships every night' and tap strategic reserves to hold down fuel prices, per Iran International.source
Victims' Families Push Back Against the Official Story
Iran- The father of Pouria Bagheri, 22, killed in Shahriar on the evening of January 8, answered Pezeshkian's claim that foreigners were behind the killings: 'Why did you cut off the internet and confiscate the shop cameras? How were you able to hold a government rally so confidently?' per Iran International.source
- A source close to the family of Ahmad Ghasempour Pilehroodi, killed in the January protests, told Iran International that pressure on the family has intensified since they refused to let him be registered as a 'martyr' and 'Basiji.'source
IRGC Claims Hits on 19 'Violating Ships' and a Captured U.S. Underwater Drone
Gulf & Naval- IRGC-linked Fars claimed Iran's armed forces hit 19 'violating ships' in Hormuz — 12 on Friday evening and seven on Saturday evening — and posted video of a burning vessel; RadioFarda notes neither maritime security agencies nor CENTCOM have confirmed the claim.source
- Fars also reported Iranian cruise missiles and suicide drones launched from the south toward merchant ships below the strait, including a sea-launched cruise missile at a ship on an 'unauthorized route'; a local resident told Iran International a missile was fired from the shore out to sea.source
- The IRGC Navy claimed it seized a U.S. Navy Remus 600 unmanned underwater vehicle on an intelligence mission in Hormuz, its second such claim; CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins denied it, calling the claim 'clearly out of desperation,' per Iran International.source
- Saudi airstrikes hit Houthi sites across five Yemeni provinces, with heavy bombardment reported in Taiz, where Houthi media say seven people were killed in a strike on a market, per Open Source Intel.source
'Ready for War, Ready for Diplomacy' — Araghchi and Waltz Trade Blows
Global- Araghchi told NBC's Meet the Press that Tehran is fully prepared for a resumption of war and will stand firm 'even if it leads to an apocalyptic war,' but is 'also ready for diplomacy — the choice is with President Trump,' per Iran International.source
- He said Trump's rejection has not been formally conveyed by the mediators, that Iran 'will not back down from its conditions,' and that it wants frozen assets released and oil sales allowed in return for reopening Hormuz, per Open Source Intel and Iran International.source
- U.S. UN Ambassador Mike Waltz told NBC the plan was 'a fairly self-serving effort to put something on the table that they knew wasn't acceptable,' asking Washington to lift the blockade, sanctions and access to billions in assets 'just so we can talk,' while Trump keeps all options open, per RadioFarda.source
- Trump told Axios U.S. negotiators are expected to hold more talks with Iran this week and that Tehran's offer 'could have been accepted a year ago'; asked by Israel's Channel 12 about renewing strikes on Iran, he said: 'I always think about it,' per Open Source Intel.source
Oil and Money — Washington Says Tehran Is Running Dry
Global- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China has sharply cut aid to Tehran, only about 15 million barrels of Iranian oil remain at sea and the last cargoes will likely reach China within two weeks, after which Iran 'will have nothing left to exchange,' per Iran International.source
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said more than 20 million barrels crossed Hormuz on one day last week, above pre-war levels, with a daily average near 13 million; Trump said oil prices will plummet 'as soon as Iran surrenders,' which he predicted 'will happen soon,' per Iran International.source
- Waltz told Fox News 'Trump has the Islamic Republic's economy under his heel,' citing a plunging currency, depleted reserves and surging inflation, and said a record 146 countries at the UN condemned Iran's attacks on civilian ships, per Iran International.source
- Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf retorted that if Iran has no control over Hormuz, why has the market priced in a $35 premium on oil — 'there is a free dollar machine in the Strait of Hormuz; go ahead and take it,' per Iran International.source