Iranian authorities on Tuesday ignored the ultimatum issued by US President Donald Trump, who threatened to strike vital infrastructure in Iran if the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial artery for global oil transport, did not become accessible again. "The entire country could be destroyed overnight," Trump had warned, after postponing the deadline until Tuesday at 8:00 PM Washington time.
The Iranian military denounced the "arrogant rhetoric," asserting that such threats had no effect on its operations. In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antóni Guterres, Iranian Ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani described the US threats as flagrant violations of international law, likely to have "consequences that will extend beyond the region."
In the night between Monday and Tuesday, Tehran and its surrounding areas were rocked by new airstrikes claimed by the Israeli army, which stated that it was targeting Iranian infrastructure. The attack comes amid an ongoing war between Israel, the United States, and Iran, which began on February 28 with joint bombings of Iranian territory. The conflict has already claimed several thousand lives, particularly in Iran and Lebanon, where Tehran's ally, Hezbollah, operates.
Mediation attempts have so far failed. A 45-day truce proposal, put forward by third countries including Pakistan, was rejected by both sides. Tehran is demanding, among other things, a cessation of regional hostilities, security of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the reconstruction of the country and the lifting of sanctions, as well as an end to Israeli strikes against Hezbollah.
On the diplomatic front, the UN Security Council is due to consider on Tuesday a draft resolution on navigation in the strait, the watered-down version of which no longer gives a state the mandate to use force to ensure the passage of ships.
Meanwhile, the strikes and retaliatory attacks continue: Israel has targeted an Iranian petrochemical complex, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has confirmed the death of its intelligence chief Majid Khademi and vowed revenge. The Gulf remains a theater of recurring attacks, with missiles and drones launched by Iran against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In Iraqi Kurdistan, two civilians were killed by an Iranian drone.
