Iran remains defiant as clock ticks down on Trump’s deadline
Why it matters: The U.S. deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz could lead to widespread destruction across Iran and Gulf states by 3:30 a.m. Tehran time.
- President Trump issued an ultimatum for Iran to end its blockade of Gulf oil by 8 p.m. ET, threatening to destroy every bridge and power plant in Iran and stating, "a whole civilization will die tonight" if no deal is reached.
- Iran showed no sign of accepting Trump's demands, vowing to retaliate against U.S. allies in the Gulf by targeting their infrastructure and claiming fresh strikes on a ship and a Saudi petrochemical complex.
- U.S. forces intensified strikes on Iran throughout the day, hitting railway and road bridges, an airport, a petrochemical plant, and targets on Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export terminal.
- Brian Finucane, a former U.S. State Department legal advisor, suggested Trump's remarks "could plausibly be interpreted as a threat to commit genocide" under U.S. and international law.
- Pakistan and Qatar were relaying messages between the U.S. and Iran, but Washington's tone remained unchanged, with Tehran rejecting U.S. proposals and warning via Qatar that it would plunge Gulf states into darkness if its power grid was hit.
As a U.S. deadline loomed, Iran remained defiant against President Trump's ultimatum to open the Strait of Hormuz, threatening retaliation against Gulf neighbors' infrastructure if the U.S. followed through on its pledge to destroy Iranian power plants and bridges. Trump, unconcerned about potential war crimes, warned that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if a last-minute deal wasn't reached, while U.S. forces intensified strikes on Iranian targets including Kharg Island.
