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Saudi Arabia closed the only road connecting it to Bahrain on Tuesday after Iran fired missiles at the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province. The latest Iranian strikes coincided with appeals from Iranian officials urging youths to form human chains around power plants for protection, as the deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz approached. Trump has warned that he will bomb all Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran fails to meet his Tuesday 8 p.m. EDT deadline to allow shipping traffic to resume fully through the strategic waterway, which handles about a fifth of the world’s oil during peacetime. “The entire country can be taken out in one night,” Trump said. Iran blocked shipping through the strait after Israeli and U.S. attacks on February 28 triggered the ongoing war. On Monday, Tehran rejected a 45-day ceasefire offer, insisting it seeks a permanent end to the conflict. Early Tuesday, Tehran launched seven ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia. The missiles were intercepted, but debris reportedly fell near energy facilities. Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki said the damage assessment was ongoing. In response to the threat of further Iranian attacks, Saudi authorities closed the King Fahd Causeway, the 25-kilometer (15.5-mile) bridge connecting the island kingdom of Bahrain—home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet—to the Arabian Peninsula. Meanwhile, activists reported a fresh wave of strikes on Tehran, which Israel later claimed responsibility for. Iran also fired missiles toward Israel amid rising tensions.  

Tehran has rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal, stating it seeks a permanent end to the war, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s ultimatum for a deal approached, accompanied by an expanded threat of strikes on all power plants and bridges in the Islamic Republic. Trump said Monday he is “not at all” concerned about committing possible war crimes, reiterating his threat to destroy Iranian infrastructure if Tehran fails to meet his Tuesday 8 p.m. ET deadline to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the United States that attacking civilian infrastructure is prohibited under international law, his spokesperson said Monday. Israel conducted a fresh wave of attacks on Iran early Tuesday, while Iran retaliated with missile strikes on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors. More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began, although the government has not updated the toll for several days. In Lebanon, over 1,400 people have died, and more than one million have been displaced. Eleven Israeli soldiers have been killed there. In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 23 deaths have been reported in Israel and 13 U.S. service members have been killed.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to destroy Iranian bridges and power plants by 12 p.m. Tuesday (Washington time) if Tehran does not reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and reach a peace deal with the United States, warning that "the entire country can be taken out in one night." He reiterated the threats during a press conference ahead of his latest deadline to reopen the strait, set for 8 p.m. Tuesday, while criticizing South Korea, Japan, Australia and NATO allies for not providing military support to help clear the waterway. "We have a plan because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again," he said. "I mean complete demolition by 12 o'clock, and it will happen over a period of four hours if we wanted to," he added. Trump emphasized that he does not desire to carry out the attacks, saying, "We don't want that to happen," as he seeks a negotiated settlement to end the conflict. "Do I want to do that? No. Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? No," he said."It will take them 100 years to rebuild right now. If we left today, it would take them 20 years to rebuild their country, and it would never be as good as it was, and the only way they're going to be able to rebuild their country is to utilize the genius of the United States of America." Trump’s repeated threats to target Iranian civilian infrastructure have raised questions about potential violations of international law, which generally prohibits attacks on civilian targets unless they are used for military purposes. He continued to underline the threat, stating, "The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night." Trump again criticized South Korea, Japan, Australia and NATO countries for not agreeing to his request to provide naval assistance to help unblock the Strait of Hormuz, which handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, including sending warships to escort merchant vessels through the waterway.

South Korea’s presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-shik has announced plans to visit Kazakhstan, Oman and Saudi Arabia to ensure stable supplies of crude oil and naphtha, as shipping disruptions continue through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Yonhap news agency, President Lee Jae Myung is also expected to hold talks with leaders of both ruling and opposition parties to discuss ways to reduce the economic impact of the situation. South Korea relies on the Middle East for around 70 percent of its energy imports, leaving it particularly exposed to the consequences of the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.

A Filipino national residing in Israel’s port city of Haifa was among four people killed in a missile attack on Sunday, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed. In a statement shared on Facebook and its official website, the ministry said the woman died along with her Israeli husband and her elderly parents-in-law. “The Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv has informed the family and is providing all necessary assistance, including arrangements for the earliest possible repatriation of her remains despite the current travel situation in the region,” the ministry said. “The Department is also reaching out to support the family during this difficult time,” it added. According to Israeli media, the fatalities occurred after a residential building was struck by what was described as an Iranian missile late Sunday. The Israeli military said on Monday that the bodies of the four victims were recovered from the debris following hours of intensive search-and-rescue operations. #From Al Jazeera

Iran on Monday rejected a new ceasefire proposal, insisting it wants a permanent end to the war with guarantees against future attacks, as U.S. President Donald Trump’s deadline loomed to avoid a major escalation targeting key infrastructure. “We won’t merely accept a ceasefire,” Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran’s mission in Cairo, told AP, adding Tehran would only agree to end the war with firm assurances. State-run IRNA said the response was conveyed via Pakistan, a key mediator. Israel strikes Iran’s largest petrochemical facility Trump’s ultimatum focuses on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil route. Ferdousi Pour said Iran and Oman were working on a mechanism to manage the chokepoint, whose disruption has driven oil prices higher. The development came after Israeli strikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field — shared with Qatar — and the killing of two Revolutionary Guard commanders. Israel said the strike targeted a key revenue source. Amid rising tensions, Trump warned Iran of severe consequences if no deal is reached, while mediators from Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey proposed a 45-day ceasefire and reopening of the strait. Explosions were reported in Tehran, with Israel claiming strikes on airports and senior officials. Iranian media confirmed multiple deaths across the country, including civilians. Global oil prices surged, with Brent crude hitting $109. Since the war began on Feb. 28, over 1,900 people have been killed in Iran, alongside casualties reported in Lebanon, Israel and elsewhere in the region.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz announced on Monday that the country's air force attacked Iran's largest petrochemical facility in Assaluyeh County in the southern Bushehr province. He said that Israel "has just struck with force the largest petrochemical facility in Iran, located in Assaluyeh," adding that the key site is responsible for about 50 percent of Iran's petrochemical production. Katz's announcement came in a video statement following reports by Iranian media that energy facilities in the area had been attacked. Iran rejects Trump’s Hormuz deadline Iran's semi-official Fars news agency said that several explosions were heard due to U.S. and Israeli attacks on petrochemical complexes. Iranian media revealed that the situation is "under control," and the damage from the attack is still being assessed. The attack followed similar Israeli strikes in March on the petrochemical facilities, which triggered Iranian attacks on oil and gas infrastructure across the region.

At least eight people were killed and 55 others injured in Israeli attacks on Beirut’s Jnah and Ain Saadeh areas, according to reports by Al Jazeera Arabic. Five people, including a 15-year-old girl, were killed in the strike on Jnah, while 52 others were injured, among them eight children. In a separate attack on the hills of Ain Saadeh in the Matn district, three people were killed, including two women, and three others — all women — were wounded. Earlier on Sunday, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said that at least 1,461 people have been killed and 4,430 injured in Israeli attacks since March 2.

A senior Iranian official has warned that key global shipping routes beyond the Strait of Hormuz could come under threat if the United States and Israel escalate military action. Ali Akbar Velayati, an adviser to Mojtaba Khamenei, said even a single miscalculation could disrupt global energy supplies and international trade. Speaking to state-run Press TV, he said the “unified command of the resistance” considers the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to be “equally strategic as the Strait of Hormuz”. His remarks came after US President Donald Trump threatened to “unleash hell” on Iran if it does not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday. Velayati added that while the US has drawn lessons from Iran’s past, it “has yet to understand the geography of power”. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, located off Yemen, links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea and is a key route for vessels heading toward the Suez Canal. Yemen’s Houthis, aligned with Tehran, have previously warned they are prepared to target the waterway in support of Iran. Their earlier attacks on Red Sea shipping during Israel’s war on Gaza caused major disruptions to global trade. Meanwhile, the leader of the Iran-aligned Kataib Hezbollah has warned of attacks on regional energy infrastructure if the US attempts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force. In a statement carried by IRNA, Abu Hussein Al-Hamidawi said, “If they try to open the Strait of Hormuz by force, there will be no oil and gas platforms or facilities left.” He also warned of broader strikes on US-linked infrastructure, saying, “Trump and his supporters should know that their power plants in the region are also legitimate targets for us, and there is no red line in this regard.” He added, “Either security will be established for everyone, or no one will enjoy security.”  #From Al Jazeera

Hezbollah has said it carried out a series of attacks targeting Israeli forces and positions in northern Israel and along the southern Lebanon border. In statements issued by its military media wing, the group said it detonated an explosive device against Israeli troops near the town of Shamaa in southern Lebanon and later opened fire on what it described as a rescue force arriving at the scene. Hezbollah also claimed it launched rocket attacks on Israeli positions and troop gatherings near the town of Ainata, and fired rockets toward the northern Israeli towns of Nahariya and Metula. In a separate statement, the group said it targeted the Meron air operations command and control base in northern Israel with a barrage of rockets. There was no immediate response from the Israeli military regarding the claims.  #From Al Jazeera