Despite facing a relentless joint US-Israeli military assault, Iran has flatly rejected Washington’s proposed temporary ceasefire plan. Iran’s state news agency IRNA reported that Tehran conveyed through mediating country Pakistan that it has no interest in a temporary pause to the fighting — what it wants is a permanent end to the war. Iran’s counter-proposal comes with conditions, including the lifting of all sanctions and a halt to other ongoing conflicts across the Middle East.
No sooner had news of the rejection emerged than President Trump turned up the heat again. He warned that if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States will reduce Tehran’s power plants and bridges to rubble. This followed a crude and inflammatory social media post on Sunday in which Trump declared Tuesday would be “Power Plant Day and Bridge Day” for Iran, issuing an ultimatum to open the strait. When
reporters pressed him on whether such strikes would constitute war crimes, Trump replied bluntly, “No. I hope I don’t have to do it.” He further claimed that ordinary Iranians are willing to endure more bombing in exchange for their freedom.
Diplomatic efforts, however, have not ground to a halt. Pakistan, Egypt and Turkey are actively working to broker a lasting solution. Egyptian diplomats told NPR that Iran could accept a 45-day ceasefire, provided it comes with guarantees of a permanent end to hostilities and room for negotiations on reopening the Strait of Hormuz. European Council
President António Costa welcomed the regional talks and urged Iranian President Pezeshkian in a phone call to step back from further escalation. Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates are also playing active roles in the diplomatic process.
On the battlefield, the situation continues to intensify. Israel has claimed responsibility for killing Major General Majid Khademi, the intelligence chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, a death that Iran has confirmed. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz threatened that Iran’s
leaders would be hunted down one by one. Meanwhile, US and Israeli warplanes struck Iran’s petrochemical industry, steel plants and other key facilities, according to Israeli officials. Iran retaliated with missile and drone attacks on Tel Aviv, Haifa and other parts of central and northern Israel. On Sunday, an Iranian missile struck a six-story residential building in Haifa, killing four people.
The regional damage is spreading well beyond Iran and Israel. Iranian drones hit Kuwait’s oil industry complex, triggering major fires, while attacks on power and water desalination facilities caused widespread electricity shortages across the country. In the United Arab Emirates, a telecommunications building and a vital port were struck, though Emirati authorities said their air defenses intercepted nine ballistic missiles, fifty drones and one cruise missile on Sunday alone.
A new and alarming front is now emerging around the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Aliakbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, warned that Tehran views this critical waterway — which links the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea to the Suez Canal — with the same strategic importance as Hormuz. Roughly ten percent of global trade passes through the Red Sea, meaning any disruption there would send shockwaves through the world economy.
Back inside Iran, ordinary citizens are living through a reality of their own. Since the war began, the government has imposed a near-total internet shutdown that has now stretched to thirty-eight days — the longest national-level internet blackout ever recorded, according to internet freedom monitor NetBlocks. With no connectivity, most Iranians cannot receive warnings about incoming strikes, cannot reach family abroad and are cut off from the global economy. Some have attempted to connect via Starlink satellite internet, but the government has been arresting those caught doing so.
