“A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” the American president wrote, adding that he hoped “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen” to avoid the attacks. “We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.”
Mr. Trump has set a deadline of 8 p.m. Eastern time for Iran to end its effective blockade of the strait, saying on Monday that otherwise every bridge in the country would be “decimated,” and every power plant would be “out of business.”
The Israeli military said it had launched airstrikes on eight bridges across Iran, and warned Iranians not to ride railroads until 9 p.m. local time. Iranian state media reported that at least three people were killed when a railway bridge was hit in the central city of Kashan.
Iranians formed human chains along bridges and around power plants around the country, videos and photographs posted by state and local media showed, in effect daring the United States and Israel to kill civilians in order to hit those sites. It was unclear whether the gatherings were arranged by the government, which has organized rallies in its support throughout the war.
Striking civilian infrastructure could be a war crime under international law. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesman for the Iranian military, has said that Iran would retaliate “crushingly and extensively” if its civilian infrastructure were attacked.
Some Iranians were bracing for the possibility of more strikes, while others were responding to the American threats with a mix of indifference, defiance, and bewilderment. “I think Trump is under a lot of pressure and that he has lost his mind,” said Lili, a Tehran resident who asked not to use her full name out of concern for repercussions for speaking to foreign media. She and her family were not planning to flee the city, she added, because there was nowhere to go.
Iran targeted energy facilities in Persian Gulf countries allied with the United States. Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said that debris from an intercepted missile had fallen near energy facilities in the east and that the damage was being assessed. The United Arab Emirates’ defense ministry said missiles and drones had been fired from Iran.
Negotiations between Iran and the United States have been mediated by Pakistan and other regional allies, which have proposed a 45-day cease-fire. On Monday, Iran delivered a separate 10-point plan to end the war to the United States and Israel through Pakistan, according to Iranian state media, but it appeared unlikely to resolve major differences between the warring parties ahead of Mr. Trump’s deadline.
Mr. Trump said the plan was a “significant step” but that it was “not good enough,” and Iran rejected any proposal for a truce.
Here’s what else we’re covering:
Oil prices: Oil prices initially climbed on Tuesday after Mr. Trump rejected a cease-fire proposal the previous day as “not good enough.” The price of Brent Crude, the international benchmark, rose 1.5 percent to about $111 a barrel, before falling slightly.
Strait of Hormuz: Britain will host a virtual meeting on Tuesday of military planners from more than 40 countries about how to secure safe passage through the waterway after the war ends.
Pentagon media: The Pentagon canceled a news conference with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that was scheduled for Tuesday.
Death tolls: The Human Rights Activists News Agency said at least 1,606 civilians, including 244 children, had been killed in Iran as of Friday. Lebanon’s health ministry on Thursday said at least 1,345 Lebanese had been killed in the latest fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. In attacks blamed on Iran, at least 50 people have been killed in Gulf nations. In Israel, at least 20 people had been killed as of Monday. The American death toll stands at 13 service members, with hundreds of others wounded.
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