The clock is ticking on US President Donald Trump’s ultimatum to Iran, with a deadline of 8 pm ET Tuesday (3:30 am Wednesday Tehran time) for Tehran to reopen the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz-or face heavy bombing and “hell.”
Trump has threatened to take out Iran “in one night” if it fails to make an “acceptable” deal before the deadline, including ensuring the free flow of energy through the Gulf.
At a White House news conference, he said he believed “reasonable” leaders in Iran were negotiating in “good faith,” but the outcome remained uncertain.
Trump said the US has a plan under which “every bridge and power plant in Iran could be destroyed by midnight Tuesday.”
He said that the Iranian people “might” ultimately benefit from freedom following the attacks.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) issued a warning on social media in Farsi, cautioning people in Iran not to take trains today.
In a post shared on the military’s Farsi social media account, it urges people in Iran, “for the sake of your security,” to “refrain from using and traveling by train” throughout the country “until 21:00 Iran time.” The post adds that “presence on trains and near railway lines endangers your life.”
This comes as US President Donald Trump threatens to strike civilian infrastructure targets across Iran if the regime refuses to allow free passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Israeli military also reported completing a wave of airstrikes targeting “infrastructure in Tehran” linked to the regime and killing people it said were members of Hezbollah. Separately, the military said it had intercepted missiles launched toward Israel by Iran.
President Trump has ignored questions about war crimes and claimed, without evidence, that the Iranian people want the U.S. to “keep bombing.”
The United Nations has warned that airstrikes in Iran have already caused significant civilian casualties and extensive damage to homes, schools, and health facilities.
Iran has publicly dismissed the threats. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, a unified command of Iran’s armed forces, called Trump’s threats “baseless” and “delusional,” warning that any attacks on non-civilian targets would trigger an even “more forceful” retaliatory response across a wider scale.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has reinforced the defiance, stating that Iranian forces will not be deterred by the assassinations of commanders.
Iranian officials have urged citizens, particularly youths, to form human chains at key power plants, signaling both resistance and civil mobilization.
