Experts Answer Your Questions About the Iran War

The Iran war is now in its fourth month.

By Georgie Hewson

The topic is World Politics.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 8:00 am.

Details about a potential peace agreement between the US and Iran are emerging, but major questions remain about Iran's nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz.

For weeks, US President Donald Trump has promised a deal to end the war will be reached soon, but he has also continued to threaten aggression if terms are not agreed to.

This morning, Mr Trump said no single country would control the Strait of Hormuz and appeared to threaten Oman.

Trump said, 'Nobody's going to control the strait.'

It's international waters, and Oman will behave or we'll have to take action.

It has been three months since Operation Epic Fury was launched by the US and Israel, and it is still unclear how the conflict will end.

To help make sense of this, several of the ABC's foreign correspondents will answer your questions about the war and its impact on Australians.

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It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 12:02 pm.

By Tom Lowrey

The war has encouraged new relationships, and it will be interesting to see what sticks.

A group of 40 or 50 countries has been discussing how to keep the Strait secure once the war ends.

Australia offered the E7 Wedgetail surveillance plane.

It's a European group of countries, alongside countries like Japan, Australia, and Korea.

But perhaps what's most interesting is who is not there.

This group of countries has met several times, and the US has not been involved in the talks.

Canada's prime minister has urged 'middle powers' to work together more often on global issues.

Australia will take part in missions like that led by the UK and France, but that doesn't mean we're drawing away from the US.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 11:50 am.

By Georgie Hewson

To tackle your questions on Australia's role in the conflict, defence correspondent Tom Lowrey has taken a couple of questions.

Welcome Tom.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 11:41 am.

By Kristy Sexton-McGrath

Jet fuel is one of the biggest costs for airlines, so when oil prices rise, the industry feels it almost immediately.

The Strait of Hormuz is particularly important because a huge portion of the world's oil moves through that region.

For travellers, that usually translates into more expensive airfares over time, especially on long-haul international routes.

Airlines can absorb some of the increase, but not indefinitely.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 11:24 am.

By Kristy Sexton-McGrath

There's definitely still some hesitancy among travellers, particularly people who are anxious flyers or who are closely following the conflict online.

The Australian government's Smartraveller is advising Australians to avoid travel to parts of the Middle East.

From an aviation safety perspective, commercial airlines are extremely risk-conscious.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 11:02 am.

By Kristy Sexton-McGrath

Not overnight. Aviation is a huge global system and it takes time to reset.

Even if a ceasefire happened tomorrow, airlines would still need to restore schedules and rebuild traveller confidence.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 10:50 am.

By Kristy Sexton-McGrath

Airlines really dislike unpredictability, and that's exactly what this conflict has created.

If airspace suddenly becomes restricted or less reliable, flights have to be rerouted.

The Australian government's Smartraveller advice is still advising against travel to the Middle East.

Middle Eastern carriers have generally managed the situation well operationally, but the global industry is still dealing with higher costs.

Key Event

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 10:31 am.

By Kristy Sexton-McGrath

It has certainly created a lot of uncertainty for global travel.

In the early days, airlines were scrambling to reroute flights around restricted and higher-risk airspace across parts of the Middle East.

Figures from Airport Coordination Limited show about 35 per cent of landing and take-off slots have been cancelled or withdrawn across Middle Eastern airports.

What that has meant in practice is longer flight paths, tighter connections, and a bit more complexity if you are travelling long-haul through the region.

And it has also shifted how people are moving around the world more broadly, with strong demand through Asian hubs like Singapore, Japan, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.

Australians are still travelling in big numbers, but there is definitely a shift in where they are going.

Indonesia is still the standout favourite for Australians, but Australian Bureau of Statistics data also shows places such as Japan, Vietnam, and China are becoming more popular.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 10:23 am.

By Georgie Hewson

Thanks so much to Laura, Matt, and John for joining us.

We all remember the initial days where the fallout from the war and closure of airspace over the Middle East left passengers scrambling around the world.

Tens of thousands of Australians became stranded, with some forced to sleep on airport floors as they heard missiles overhead.

Then, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz choked off a significant amount of the world's jet fuel supply, sending ticket prices skyrocketing and forcing even more flight cancellations.

ABC Tourism reporter Kristy Sexton-Mcgrath covered it all and is here to bring us up to speed on how the war continues to affect global travel.

Welcome Kristy.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 10:06 am.

By Americas Editor John Lyons

I think the most likely is that he will come up with a memorandum of understanding that allows the Strait of Hormuz to be opened.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 9:57 am.

By Americas Editor John Lyons

This war has become very unpopular.

President Trump's support is suffering.

While his MAGA republican base remains solid, his support among independent voters and some Republicans has crashed.

Read more on Trump's unpopularity in public polls here:

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 9:45 am.

By Americas Editor John Lyons

It seems to me that the Trump White House and many Americans were lulled into a false sense of expectation because of the Venezuela operation.

In that, the US had conducted a short, sharp operation that lasted a few hours in which then-president Nicolas Maduro was seized and taken to the United States.

Not a single American lost their life.

President Trump clearly saw that as a success, which in military terms it was.

Likewise, the bombing last year of the Iranian nuclear facilities was another operation that lasted a few hours and again no US lives were lost.

I think after these two military expeditions, President Trump thought that a short sharp bombing of Iran would bring them to the negotiating table.

And reporting by The New York Times indicates that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lobbied President Trump for a military strike against Iran.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 9:24 am.

By Americas Editor John Lyons

Congress has still not approved the war, which is a big issue for Democrats in the Congress and some Republicans.

Some in the Trump administration are arguing that because there has been a ceasefire that technically the war has stopped.

Others are using definitions.

President Trump himself tries to avoid using the word war, instead calling it a conflict.

So this is an impasse.

Many in Congress want the war to be approved but the administration says this is not necessary.

Key Event

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 9:06 am.

By Americas Editor John Lyons

At the beginning of the war the United States had the perceived power because of its military superiority, but now the Iranians have wrested much of the power back.

While they're still vastly militarily inferior to the US and Israel, Iran has discovered during this war the power that it does have: control of the Strait of Hormuz.

This is not something Donald Trump factored into his consideration as a major issue.

As each week and month goes by, Trump and his Republicans are feeling the political pressure.

Petrol prices remain high.

This is hurting people in regional and rural areas who rely on their cars, and affecting the prices of everyday goods due to the cost of moving goods around in trucks and planes.

With the midterm elections coming in November, many Republicans are becoming very nervous about this economic pain.

Clearly Trump is feeling the pressure but the reality is that, at this moment, Iran is holding a stronger hand than the White House anticipated it would.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 9:03 am.

By Georgie Hewson

ABC's Americas editor John Lyons is based in Washington DC.

Lyons was previously the ABC's global affairs editor and he has been a foreign correspondent in Washington, New York, the Philippines, and the Middle East.

He joins us now to answer questions on the US's role in the conflict.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 9:00 am.

By Georgie Hewson

Donald Trump says the US is not yet satisfied with the proposals put forward by Iran to end the ongoing war between them.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday afternoon, local time, the US president said Iran was 'intent on a deal' but key points of difference remained in negotiations.

Trump said, 'They want very much to make a deal. So far they haven't gotten there … we're not satisfied with it, but we will be.'

At the same meeting, Trump's secretary of state, Marco Rubio, said the next hours and days could be crucial for progressing an agreement.

Mr Rubio added that the US president would prefer to strike a deal.

Catch up on Trump's latest comments before we hear from Americas editor John Lyons here:

Key Event

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 8:56 am.

By Georgie Hewson

Three explosions have been heard east of the Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas, Iranian media has reported.

It reported that air defences were activated for several minutes and that authorities were following up to determine the origin of the sounds.

The US military said it carried out strikes in southern Iran on Tuesday against targets including boats attempting to lay mines and missile launch sites.

It said the strikes were designed 'to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces'.

We'll monitor this situation and bring you any updates as they come through.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 8:52 am.

By Global Affairs Editor Laura Tingle

Terminology is important here.

You can destroy capacity to enrich uranium, or seek to slow down the pace at which Iran can produce it.

You can also limit access to uranium or take the uranium away.

Donald Trump spoke on Tuesday of 'destroying' Iran’s enriched uranium.

It is worth noting that, since 2015, Iran has committed to not making nuclear weapons, even as it has continued to escalate its capacity to make weapons-grade uranium.

It is also worth noting that most observers believe Israel possesses nuclear weapons, though it has never admitted to this.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 8:45 am.

By global affairs editor Laura Tingle

The most consistent thing driving the war has been Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s determination to destroy the threat he perceives to Israel from Iran.

While Iran was seen as a security threat throughout the region, all the reporting that has emerged points to the nature of this particular conflict being driven very much by the will of the Israeli PM.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 8:41 am.

By Georgie Hewson

Global Affairs Editor Laura Tingle has been covering this war since day one.

Like many Australians, she was even left stranded in the UAE due to airspace closures.

Let's see what she had to say.

It is Thursday, 28 May 2026, at 8:30 am.

By Middle East correspondent Matthew Doran

It certainly makes it hard to see how the talks could achieve peace in Lebanon.

There's a brief history lesson here which further explains why.

A ceasefire had been imposed in Lebanon in late 2024, but Israel accused Hezbollah of breaching the deal.

Lebanon in turn accused Israel of almost daily violations, as it continued launching strikes inside Lebanon’s borders.

The Lebanese government had floated the idea of peace talks with Israel, but that was ridiculed by its southern neighbour.

Fast-forward to March 2026 and Hezbollah opens fire on Israel, in solidarity with its backers in Tehran.

Then a ceasefire is agreed to between the US and Iran.

Iran says Lebanon is covered by it, Israel says it isn’t.

Then Israeli strikes, including unannounced attacks in central Beirut, kill 350 in a single day.

Many of the victims are women and children, prompting the US president to tell the Israeli PM to rein it in.

And suddenly, the idea of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon, hosted by the US and condemned by Hezbollah, appear on the agenda again.

Weeks later, Donald Trump announces a ceasefire in Lebanon, but Israeli strikes continue.

Hezbollah promises to continue retaliating, and the Lebanese government say the US has given Israel too much leeway in deciding if and when it attacks.

It's a sad cycle, which leads to questions like this one and a lack of faith it's ever going to amount to much if it follows the same trajectory.

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