Donald Trump has warned that Iran's 'whole civilisation will die tonight' if Tehran does not comply with his demands, as the world awaits his deadline of 8pm EDT (1am BST) for a deal. The US president has threatened to order the mass destruction of Iranian power plants and bridges if no agreement is reached.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards have signalled readiness to escalate the conflict, threatening to retaliate 'beyond the region' and to deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas for years, potentially targeting Gulf production facilities. The White House insisted on Tuesday that the US was not considering nuclear weapons, despite Vice-President JD Vance's earlier warning about unused tools.
Pope Leo described Trump's threats as 'truly unacceptable', urging global leaders to work for peace. He condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure as against international law and 'a sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction human beings are capable of'.
With the deadline looming, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly requested a two-week delay to allow diplomacy, while also urging Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as a goodwill gesture. A senior Iranian official indicated Tehran was reviewing the ceasefire proposal 'positively'.
Reports emerged of explosions in Doha, Qatar, and sirens in Bahrain, with interceptors engaging targets over the United Arab Emirates. Iran's first vice-president, Mohammad Reza Aref, stated the country was prepared for all possibilities, while President Masoud Pezeshkian said over 14 million Iranians had registered to sacrifice their lives.
