onald Trump has warned that Iran’s “whole civilisation will die tonight” if Tehran did not comply with his demands, as the world braced to see if the president would deliver on his latest threat to order the mass destruction of Iranian power plants and bridges in the absence of a deal by 8pm EDT (1am BST).
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards signalled they were also ready to escalate the war with a threat to retaliate “beyond the region” and “to deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas in the region for years”, suggesting Iran would target oil and gas production facilities in the Gulf and elsewhere, potentially sending the world into recession.
The White House issued a statement on Tuesday insisting the US was not considering the use of a nuclear weapon after the vice-president, JD Vance, triggered concern with a warning that US forces had tools they “so far haven’t decided to use”.
But by threatening Iranian “civilization”, Trump appeared unwilling to dispel doubts he was prepared to commit serious war crimes by targeting the country’s population. On Sunday, he said US bombing would destroy all Iran’s power stations and bridges within fours hours of his deadline.
With Trump’s deadline looming, there was no sign of Pakistani-led peace efforts bearing fruit, with Iran unwilling to give up its main point of leverage, the near-total closure of the strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for the flow of oil, gas and petrochemicals such as fertiliser from the Gulf, in return for a temporary ceasefire.
Iran has rejected a U.S. proposal brokered by Pakistan for an immediate ceasefire and the lifting of its effective blockade of the strait, followed by talks on a broader peace settlement within 15 to 20 days, according to a source aware of the plan.
The Iranian response consisted of 10 clauses, including an end to conflicts in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, lifting of sanctions, and reconstruction, official IRNA news agency reported.
On Monday, Trump said “the entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night.” He vowed to destroy Iranian power plants and infrastructure if Tehran refused to agree before the deadline.
In Iran
- Israel’s military said it had carried out strikes on three airports in Tehran, targeting several Iranian planes and helicopters.
- It also claimed to have struck Iran’s largest petrochemical complex, which serves the South Pars gasfield, the world’s largest natural gas reserve.
- The chief of the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said attacks near Iran’s Bushehr atomic power plant “pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop”.
- Iran said an Israeli strike at dawn killed the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Major-General Majid Khademi.
- Two units that produce electricity for the South Pars gasfield were targeted in recent strikes. Iranian officials view this as a “huge escalation” and a sign that the US and Israel intend to destroy the survival capabilities of the Iranian people.
War diplomacy
- US ultimatum: Trump has issued a strict deadline, threatening the “complete demolition” of Iran’s power plants and bridges by Tuesday evening (00:00 GMT, Wednesday) if Tehran does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Experts say targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime.
- Iran rejects pause offer: Iran has rejected a proposal for a temporary ceasefire, arguing it would give the US and Israel time to regroup and launch further attacks, citing past ceasefire violations in Gaza and Lebanon. Instead, Iranian officials have put forward a 10-point proposal calling for a comprehensive and permanent end to the war.
- Iran demands: Tehran is also demanding the lifting of longstanding sanctions, a compromise on uranium enrichment, and the establishment of a new order in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Turkish ship passes through Hormuz: A third Turkish-owned ship passed through the war-torn Strait of Hormuz, Turkiye’s Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said.
- South Korea takes Saudi option: South Korea will send five Korean-flagged ships to the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu to establish alternative oil supply routes to the Strait of Hormuz, a governing party parliamentarian said.
- Energy shocks: Global fuel price shocks have prompted Chinese President Xi Jinping to call for the accelerated construction of a new energy system.
In the Gulf
- Kuwait: According to a report by CBS, an Iranian drone strike on the Ali al-Salem airbase wounded 15 Americans overnight.
- Saudi Arabia: A Saudi military spokesperson said the country’s air defences intercepted at least 18 drones over the past few hours. In a post on X, the Ministry of Defence said all drones were destroyed.
- Earlier, the kingdom’s Defence Ministry reported intercepting up to seven ballistic missiles over its Eastern province, with debris falling near critical energy facilities. The Saudi National Early Warning Platform also issued alerts of potential danger in the region.
- Bahrain: An important bridge linking the island nation to Saudi Arabia has been indefinitely closed to traffic over fears of attacks from Iran, according to reports. In a post on X, the authority overseeing the King Fahd Causeway said traffic over the bridge had been “suspended as a precautionary measure” over Iranian attacks targeting the Saudi province of Eastern.
- UAE: The Ministry of Defence of the United Arab Emirates reported that its air defences intercepted incoming missiles and drones originating from Iran.
In the US
- Trump and other senior US officials gave details of the high-risk mission to rescue two airmen whose fighter was shot down over Iran, saying more than 170 aircraft and hundreds of soldiers were involved in the operation.
- The president lashed out at a journalist who reported on a US rescue operation for a downed airman in Iran, demanding the source be revealed and threatening jail time.
- Trita Parsi, a foreign policy expert, told Al Jazeera that Trump could again extend military deadlines if diplomacy emerges, noting he has already done so several times in recent weeks. Parsi argues Trump has little credibility to lose, and may ultimately accept a new status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, including Iranian transit fees.
- The Central Command (CENTCOM), which is responsible for US military operations in the Middle East and is leading the attacks on Iran, said its forces have attacked more than 13,000 Iranian targets.
In Israel
- An Iranian missile attack on a residential building in the port city of Haifa killed at least four people.
- In Iraq, Lebanon
- Widening campaign in Lebanon: Israel’s ongoing bombardment and invasion of Lebanon are deepening fissures within the country, with recent attacks striking beyond predominantly Shia Muslim areas to hit Ain Saadeh, a Christian suburb east of Beirut.
- Two separate Israeli air attacks on southern Lebanon have killed five people and injured several, according to the country’s National News Agency.
- Two US-made GBU-39 bombs struck a residential building in Beirut, killing three people.
- The United Nations said more than 1.1 million people have now been registered as displaced in Lebanon as Israel continues its ground invasion in the country’s south.
- Two killed in Iraq: A drone “coming from Iran” killed a couple in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq after crashing into their home, local authorities reported. Separately, two blasts were heard near Erbil airport.
