Live Updates: Trump says "whole civilization will die tonight" as strikes on Iran ramp up ahead of his deadline

Israel's military warned Tuesday of an increased risk of inbound attacks as President Trump's deadline for Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz approached.

"Following a situational assessment, and as part of preparations for the possible expiration of the ultimatum, there may be an increase in fire toward the territory of the State of Israel in the coming hours," the Israeli military said on its official Telegram channel.

Iran's Prince Reza Pahlavi, a prominent critic of the Iranian regime, called on Iran's national military to rise up against the regime and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

"Before your very eyes, the Islamic Republic and its terrorist, repressive IRGC have slaughtered tens of thousands of the purest and bravest sons and daughters of this country, and each day send more to their deaths," Pahlavi wrote on X. Pahlavi, the son of the deposed late shah, has been living mostly in the U.S. since the Iranian Revolution. He has said he would be interested in being a transitional leader of Iran if the regime were to fall. 

Pahlavi called the regime "occupiers of Iran's soil" who are "driven by a destructive and apocalyptic madness" who have "brought the country to the brink of ruin." 

"How have you closed your eyes to these realities and withdrawn from your duty to defend the nation and the people? How will history – and future generations of Iran – judge you?" he asked. 

Pahlavi asked the armed forces to "step forward" and "defend the honor and credibility of Iran's national army against the Islamic Republic" and proxy groups. He also called on the Iranian public to "demand that the army fulfill its national role." 

"Before it is too late, stand together with the nation and save Iran," Pahlavi wrote. "Long live Iran."

President Trump is reviewing Pakistan's proposal to extend his deadline for Iran to reach a deal by two weeks, the White House said roughly four hours before President Trump's 8 p.m. deadline. 

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CBS News that Mr. Trump "has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come." 

During a phone call with Fox News on Tuesday, the president said "we're in heated negotiations," but declined to say how he was feeling about the discussions. 

Kuwait's Interior Ministry asked that citizens and residents "stay home and avoid being out" except in case of emergency overnight. 

The curfew extends from midnight, April 7 until 6 a.m. on April 8, according to an X post from the ministry. 

The ministry called the curfew "a precaution for your safety" and said it appreciated the public's cooperation. 

Pakistani prime minister Shehbaz Sharif said on X that diplomatic efforts for the "peaceful settlement" of the Iran war are progressing "steadily, strongly and powerfully with the potential to lead to substantive results in (the) near future." 

Sharif asked President Trump to extend his deadline for Tehran another two weeks "to allow diplomacy to run its course." He also asked the Iranian regime to open the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks "as a goodwill gesture" and for all parties involved in the conflict to observe th ceasefire. 

Sharif tagged Mr. Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian leaders in the post.

Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that President Trump's threat to destroy Iranian civilization was "truly unacceptable" and said any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.

In some of his strongest comments yet against the war, Leo urged Americans and other people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace.

"Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable," he said as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

He was referring to Mr. Trump's threat that a "whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran fails to meet his latest deadline to strike a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Leo recalled his Easter appeal for peace and to reject war "especially a war which many people have said is an unjust war, which is continuing to escalate, and which is not resolving anything."

He invited all people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to remind them that attacks on civilian infrastructure are "against international law" and also are a "sign of the hatred, the division, the destruction human beings are capable of, and we all want to work for peace."

Israel's army said that it had struck Iran's primary site for sonar and submarine detection systems in recent days. The IDF said the strikes have "significantly damaged the maritime detection and defence capabilities" of the Iranian regime. 

The strikes have also affected Iran's "ability to produce and maintain submarines and maritime electronic systems," the IDF said. 

The site is located in Shiraz, a city in south-central Iran. The strikes were carried out by Israel's air force, with guidance from its Naval Intelligence Unit, the IDF said. 

Also struck was a "key site for producing systems for sea-skimming cruise missiles and air defense systems," the IDF said. That site was in Karaj, a city in central Iran.

 Senate Democrats including Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a joint statement condemning President Trump's warning that a "whole civilization will die" if Iran does not meet his deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz. 

Jack Reed, a ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Jeanne Shaheen, a ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Chris Coons, a ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense and Brian Schatz, a ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, also joined the statement. 

"We speak today with one voice and one purpose," the senators wrote. 

"This is not strength," the statement said. "Intentionally destroying the power, water, or basic infrastructure upon which tens of millions of civilians depend to punish the very civilians who suffer at the hands of the Iranian regime would constitute a war crime, a betrayal of the values this nation was founded on, and a moral failure." 

The senators said that Mr. Trump's "reckless threat makes Americans less safe, further destabilizes our nation and economy, and puts at greater risk U.S. service members." 

The group said they believed diplomacy was "the only viable solution to this war" and that Mr. Trump "must not follow through on this threat."  

U.S. Central Command said on X that American forces launched one-way attack drones into Iran on Monday night. 

The agency did not specify how the drones were used. CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper noted that "hundreds of U.S. drones are fully integrated into offensive and defense operations against Iran," and said that the devices "operate in the air, at sea, under the sea and on the ground in support of our military objectives." 

CENTCOM started using low-cost aerial attack drones in combat for the first time in March.

American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been freed, confirming reports from earlier Tuesday, sources told CBS News. 

Two Iraqi government sources and another source familiar with the situation confirmed the journalist, who was kidnapped in Iraq one week ago, has been freed. 

An Iraqi militia called Kataib Hezbollah had Kittleson's name on a list of American journalists to target for kidnapping, per multiple sources familiar.

Two militia officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that in exchange for Kittleson's release, Iraqi authorities would free several detained members of the group.

The Israeli military on Tuesday expressed regret over "collateral damage" to a synagogue in Tehran caused by an overnight strike that it said was targeting a senior Iranian commander. 

"Last night (Tuesday), the IDF struck a senior commander in the emergency headquarters 'Khatam al-Anbiya' of the Iranian terror regime," an Israeli military spokesperson said in response to a question from AFP. 

"The IDF regrets the collateral damage to the synagogue and emphasises that the strike was targeted at a senior military target within the regime's armed forces, not at any place of worship."

The military said the results of the strike were "under review," adding that "steps were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance."

Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's Shargh newspaper and Mehr news agency reported that the Rafi-Nia Synagogue in central Tehran had been "completely destroyed."

AFP

The U.S. State Department is advising Americans to reconsider participating in Hajj this year due to risks in Saudi Arabia associated with the Iran war.

"Per the Saudi Arabia Travel Advisory, and due to the ongoing security situation and intermittent travel disruptions, we advise reconsidering participation in Hajj this year," the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh said in a security alert Tuesday.

Hajj, an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, is taking place this year at the end of May.

U.S. citizens are being encouraged to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia.  

For those looking to depart the country, "Commercial flights are available and Saudi airspace remains open with frequent air traffic restrictions to address continued missile and drone threats," the security alert said. "Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam airports remain open and operational, but travelers are advised to check their flight status directly with the airline due to possible delays and cancellations."

The embassy said U.S. citizens who are still in Saudi Arabia should "heed the advice of the Government of Saudi Arabia early warning system," although it noted that the system "is not consistently reliable in providing timely warnings."

The State Department also said it is tracking reports of threats against locations where Americans gather. 

"We advise U.S. citizens that hotels and other gathering points including U.S. businesses may be potential targets," it said. 

House Democratic leaders called for the chamber to return Tuesday amid President Trump's latest rhetoric, calling him "completely unhinged."

"His statement threatening to eradicate an entire civilization shocks the conscience and requires a decisive congressional response," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and other members of the leadership team said in a statement.

The Democratic leaders stressed that the House "must come back into session immediately and vote to end this reckless war of choice in the Middle East before Donald Trump plunges our country into World War III." 

The House is currently on recess and isn't set to return until April 14. Last month, the chamber voted down an effort to limit the president's ability to take further military action against Iran without congressional support. 

The Democrats criticized their GOP colleagues in the statement, claiming Republicans have "enabled and excused Donald Trump's deeply dangerous and extreme behavior." 

"Enough is enough," they said. "It's time for House Republicans to put patriotic duty over party loyalty and join Democrats in stopping this madness."

French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday that a couple who were jailed in Iran for years were "free and on their way back to France."

"Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris are free and on their way back to France after three and a half years of detention in Iran. This is a relief for all of us and, of course, for their families," Macron said in a social media post. He thanked Oman's government "for their mediation efforts."

Kohler and Paris were held in Iran in prison conditions that French officials had likened to torture and on charges that the French government always said were without foundation.

"Iran practices a deliberate policy of state hostages," the French Foreign Ministry said last year as the pair remained in detention. "All French nationals who find themselves there expose themselves to a risk of arrest and arbitrary detention, including tourists, for the sole reason of having French nationality."

Russia and China on Tuesday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz that had been repeatedly watered down in hopes those two countries would abstain.

The vote – 11 in favor, two against and two abstentions – took place just hours before an 8 p.m. Eastern deadline set by President Trump for Iran to reopen the strategic waterway or face the destruction of its power plants and bridges. 

It's doubtful the resolution, even if it had been adopted, would have impacted the war because it was significantly weakened to try to get Russia and China to abstain rather than veto it.

The initial proposal from Bahrain would have authorized countries to use "all necessary means" – U.N. wording that would include military action – to ensure transit through the Strait of Hormuz and deter attempts to close it.

After Russia, China and France, all veto-wielding countries on the 15-member Security Council, expressed opposition to approving the use of force, the resolution was revised to eliminate all references to offensive action. It would have authorized only "all defensive means necessary."  

But the resolution was further weakened to eliminate any reference to Security Council authorization – which is an order for action -- and to limit its provisions to the Strait of Hormuz. Previous drafts had included adjacent waters.

The resolution vetoed Tuesday only "strongly encourages states interested in the use of commercial maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz to coordinate efforts, defensive in nature, commensurate with the circumstances, to contribute to ensuring the safety and security of navigation across the Strait of Hormuz."

The resolution also demanded that Iran immediately halt attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and stop impeding their freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and attacking civilian infrastructure.

An Iranian-backed militia in Iraq announced Tuesday that American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was abducted on a Baghdad street a week ago, was being released on the condition that she leave Iraq immediately.

Iraq's Interior Ministry announced last week that a foreign journalist was kidnapped by "unknown individuals," and two sources told CBS News it was Kittleson who was taken. The ministry said Iraqi security forces had managed to arrest one suspect and seize a vehicle used in the abduction.

Alex Plitsas, Kittleson's designated point of contact in the U.S. and a CNN national security analyst, confirmed to CBS News that Kittleson was kidnapped, and he said the U.S. government had warned her about a specific threat by the Iranian-backed paramilitary group Kata'ib Hezbollah, which was allegedly looking to kidnap or kill female journalists. 

It was Kata'ib Hezbollah that announced her release in a post on its Telegram messaging app channel on Tuesday. 

Her whereabouts were not immediately clear.

Plitsas said Kittleson had been advised that her name was on a list in Kata'ib Hezbollah's possession, and a second source confirmed that she had been told of a risk but that she thought it was likely false information. 

Kittleson was contacted multiple times with warnings of threats against her, including as recently as the night before she was abducted, a U.S. official told CBS News.

Democrats in Congress panned President Trump's latest rhetoric Tuesday, voicing concern about possible escalation in the Iran war after Mr. Trump warned in a social media post that "a whole civilization will die tonight" ahead of his deadline for Iran's rulers to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the president "an extremely sick person." He and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urged Republicans in Congress to express opposition to the war.

"It's time for every single Republican to put patriotic duty over party and stop the madness,"  said Jeffries, a New York Democrat.

Rank-and-file members in both the House and Senate expressed outrage after Mr. Trump's threat. Some called for impeachment and for the 25th amendment to be invoked to remove Mr. Trump from office, while others demanded that House Speaker Mike Johnson call Congress back into session immediately and said the president's threats could constitute war crimes. 

GOP Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stressed on John Solomon's podcast Monday that he did not "want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure."

Israel's military said Tuesday that it had launched attacks on eight bridges in Iran, destroying sections in the spans that it claimed were used by Iranian forces "for transporting weapons and military equipment in several areas across Iran, including Tehran, Karaj, Tabriz, Kashan, and Qom."

President Trump has threatened to order attacks on all Iranian bridges, along with its power plants, if the country's theocratic rulers don't agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The Israel Defense Forces, announcing its strikes about 10 hours before Mr. Trump's deadline, said the bridges it hit were used by Iran to "transport weapons and military equipment, and carry out terror attacks against the State of Israel and other countries in the Middle East."

The IDF said it took steps "to mitigate harm to civilians, including the use of precise munitions and aerial surveillance."

Iran's Fars news agency, which is linked to the country's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, posted a short video on social media Tuesday showing what it called a "Human chain in front of the Kazerun combined cycle power plant."

The video, verified by CBS News Confirmed, showed hundreds of people who had answered a call by an Iranian government official for civilians to act as human shields in front of the country's power plants.

President Trump has warned Iran's rulers that if they don't reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping traffic by 8 p.m. Eastern, he will order strikes to destroy all of the country's power plants and bridges.

Multiple online resources describe the Kazerun (or Kazeroon) power plant as a natural gas-fired production facility in Iran's southwest Fars province, which is near the Persian Gulf.

Iran has renewed its threat to ask its Houthi allies in Yemen to block another key waterway in the Middle East if the U.S. and Israel escalate their war against Iran, the Reuters news agency reported Tuesday.

Reuters quoted an unnamed senior Iranian source as saying "if the situation gets out of control," Tehran "allies will also close Bab el-Mandeb waterway."

The Iranian backed Houthi rebels, who control a vast portion of Yemen, have attacked ships in and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait before.  Like the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has kept closed to most shipping traffic in retaliation for the ongoing U.S.-Israeli attacks, the Bab el-Mandeb is a vital conduit for natural gas and oil products exported from the Middle East.

An Iranian military official was first quoted in late March by the country's state media as saying the Bab el-Mandeb could be targeted. The strait is the southern gateway from the Red Sea into the Arabian Sea and all points beyond. An estimated 10% of the world's oil supply flows through the passage, which is bordered by Djibouti to the south and Yemen to the north.

While the Houthis have stayed out of the Iran war thus far, its leaders have warned they could engage if Tehran asks them to. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Tuesday that Israel had attacked Iranian railways and bridges, as the U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran ramped up dramatically with strikes on civilian infrastructure even ahead of President Trump's 8 p.m. Eastern deadline.

Netanyahu said in a social media post that the strikes hit infrastructure "used by" Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

"We are crushing the terror regime in Iran with ever-increasing force. Yesterday we destroyed transport aircraft and dozens of helicopters, and today we attacked the railway lines and bridges used by the Revolutionary Guards," the Israeli premier said, insisting that the strikes "are not intended to attack the Iranian people."

"On the contrary, they are meant to weaken and cut down the regime of bullies that has oppressed them for forty-seven years," he said.

A building belonging to the Thuraya Telecommunications Company, a major player in the global satellite phone industry, was hit by an Iranian missile Tuesday in the United Arab Emirates, wounding two Pakistani nationals, authorities said.

Authorities in the Emirate of Sharjah were "dealing with the incident" after an administrative building belonging to Thuraya in the central region of the emirate was hit by "a ballistic missile coming from Iran," the official Sharjah media office said in a post on social media. 

"The accident resulted in two Pakistani nationals sustaining moderate injuries, and they were taken to the hospital to receive medical care," the media office said.

The UAE, a close U.S. ally, has been targeted by more Iranian drone and missile attacks than any other country in the region since the war began. 

Iran's military has threatened twice in recent weeks to target tech firms it deems connected to or supportive of the joint U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic.

Iranian state media said U.S. or Israeli strikes hit power transmission lines Tuesday in the country's Alborz Province, just west of Tehran, knocking a substation offline and causing power outages in the city of Karaj and nearby areas.

Response teams were able to restore power "to 80% of the affected areas, and full power is expected to return shortly," Iran's IRIB state television network reported.

President Trump has threatened to destroy all of Iran's power plants if it doesn't agree to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to all shipping traffic by 8 p.m. Eastern on Tuesday.

Oil prices rose on Tuesday and stock futures fell ahead of President Trump's 8 p.m. EST deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to avoid sweeping airstrikes on infrastructure targets, including power plants and bridges.

S&P 500 futures sank 0.5%, while Dow Jones Industrial Average futures pointed to a decline of 0.4%. Nasdaq futures dropped 0.6%. 

Brent crude, the international oil benchmark, rose 1% to $110.81 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, jumped 2.9% to $115.70.

Surging oil costs have driven up U.S. gasoline prices to their highest level since 2022. The average national price for a gallon of regular gas climbed on Tuesday to $4.14, up from $2.98 just before the outbreak of hostilities, according to data from AAA.

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Vice President JD Vance warned Tuesday that the U.S. has "tools in our toolkit that we so far haven't decided to use" against Iran, adding he was "hopeful" negotiations would avoid them being deployed.

"The United States States has largely accomplished its military objectives," Vance told reporters during a visit to Hungary, adding that "there's going to be a lot of negotiation between now and" when President Trump's deadline for Iran expires at 8 p.m. Eastern.

"They've got to know we've got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven't decided to use. The president of the United States can decide to use them, and he will decide to use them if the Iranians don't change their course of conduct," he added.

President Trump said Tuesday morning, ahead of his looming deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, that "a whole civilization will die tonight," adding that he didn't "want that to happen, but it probably will."

"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," Mr. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform just after 8 a.m. in Washington. "I don't want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World."

Mr. Trump has given Iran until 8 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday to agree to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, or else he says he will order attacks to destroy all of the country's power plants and bridges. He previously threatened to hit water desalination plants, too.

Mr. Trump told reporters Monday that Iran had made a "significant" proposal, which he called "not good enough" but a "very significant step." 

He called Iran an "active, willing participant" in ongoing negotiations.

A U.S. official told CBS News on Tuesday that American forces had conducted new strikes on military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, a vital location for Iran's oil exports. 

The official said that, as with similar attacks launched in mid-March, oil infrastructure was not targeted in the overnight attacks. 

Some of the strikes hit targets that were hit during those previous attacks in March, according to the official. 

President Trump said at the time that those initial strikes on March 13 had "totally obliterated" every military target on Kharg Island, which, just 20 miles off Iran's northern Gulf coast, has long been the hub through which about 80% of its crude oil is exported.

President Trump has not ruled out using U.S. ground forces in Iran, and he has suggested the possibility of seizing Kharg as part of an effort to stop the Iranian regime controlling maritime traffic through the trait of Hormuz.

Iranian media reported explosions after U.S.-Israeli strikes on Kharg earlier Tuesday, with witnesses saying the attacks appeared to be as intense if not more intense than those in mid-March.

The British military's Maritime Trade Operations Center said Tuesday that a container ship was hit by an "unknown projectile which has caused damage above the waterline" off the coast of Iran's Kish Island, near the western entrance to the Strait of Hormuz.

"The crew are safe and accounted for. No environmental impact has been reported. Authorities are investigating," the UKMTO said in its alert.

Iran has maintained a de facto blockade of the vital shipping lane off its western coast in retaliation for the war launched by Israel and the U.S. on Feb. 28. It has allowed some ships to transit the strait, reportedly collecting hefty fees as they pass by another island that analysts say Tehran is effectively using as a "toll booth," but none linked to the U.S. or Israel.

Overall commercial traffic through the strait, through which a fifth of the world's crude oil supply is typically carried on tankers, has been severely reduced since the war began, sending global oil prices skyrocketing. 

International benchmark Brent Crude was trading at or above $110 a barrel on Tuesday, ahead of President Trump's deadline for Iran to reopen the strait. He has threatened to ramp up the war significantly if that doesn't happen, with attacks to destroy Iran's power plants and bridges.

Iran has threatened to respond in kind, knocking out power to U.S. allies across the Persian Gulf.

Iran's state news agency said Tuesday that an "enemy attack" on a railway bridge in the city of Kashan had killed two people, hours after Israel warned Iranians to avoid the country's rail network for their own safety.

The state IRNA news agency cited the deputy governor of the Isfahan province as saying three other people were wounded in the strike by the "American-Zionist aggressor" on the Yahyaabad Bridge.

President Trump has threatened to destroy all of Iran's bridges and its power plants if the Iranian regime doesn't agree to a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening. 

Iranian officials and some European leaders have warned that attacks on civilian infrastructure could amount to war crimes.

Mr. boasted about a strike in late March that destroyed part of a massive bridge under construction west of Tehran. The B1 bridge is a major infrastructure project intended to link the capital city with western suburbs.

The cyberwarfare unit of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard warned Tuesday that it was dropping all "self-restraint" and would soon take unspecified action to "deprive the United States and its allies for years to the region's oil and gas."

The IRGC Cyber Guard addressed its warning, posted on its channel on the Telegram messaging app, to "U.S. regional partners," saying it had, up until now, "had a lot of self-restraint in the interest of good neighborliness and have had some considerations in choosing retaliation objectives, but now all these considerations have been removed."

The vague threat came amid reports from Iranian media outlets of a significant uptick in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes against various infrastructure, including on the vital oil export hub of Kharg Island and initial reports of a strike on the country's rail network.

The U.S. or Israel carried out "several attacks on Kharg Island," with explosions heard on the small but strategic island Tuesday, the Iranian government-backed news agency Mehr reported. 

Just 20 miles off Iran's northern Persian Gulf coast, Kharg Island is Iran's hub for oil exports, historically handling 85–95% of the country's crude exports.

Mr. Trump has indicated he could try to occupy the island as part of an effort to thwart Iran's de facto blockade and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping.

The U.S. has carried out dozens of strikes on Kharg already during the war, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine saying more than two weeks ago that all of the military-only infrastructure on the island, including air defenses, a naval base and mine storage and deployment facilities were destroyed.

President Trump said U.S. forces avoided the island's oil export infrastructure in previous strikes, but he warned in late March that that if Iran did "anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz" he would "immediately reconsider this decision."

Iranian officials urged youths to form human chains around power plants to protect them on Tuesday, as the latest deadline set by President Trump for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz drew closer.

Mr. Trump has threatened to bomb all of Iran's power plants and bridges if the regime does not meet his 8 p.m. Eastern deadline to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the vital shipping lane through which a fifth of the world's crude oil is typically carried, to all commercial vessels.

A government official issued the call via state media for "all young people, athletes, artists, students and university students and their professors" to form human chains around power plants ahead of the threatened strikes.

"Power plants that are our national assets and capital, regardless of any taste or political viewpoint, belong to the future of Iran and to the Iranian youth," Alireza Rahimi, identified by Iranian state television as the secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, said in a video address during a newscast.

Iranians have answered previous calls from the regime to form human chains around the country's nuclear sites at times of heightened tensions with the West.

Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tuesday that 14 million Iranians, including himself, "have declared their readiness to sacrifice their lives" in defense of their country if the war requires them to do so. 

Pezeshkian made the comment on X after the youth minister urged people to form human chains, but it did not appear to be a direct reference to that call. The figure the president gave was double what state media have previously said about the response to text messages and other media soliciting volunteers to join Iran's war effort.

CBS/AP

Overnight attacks on Saudi Arabia hit a petrochemical complex in a sprawling industrial area in the eastern city of Jubail, a source on the ground told AFP Tuesday, hours after similar installations in Iran were struck.

"An attack caused a fire at the SABIC plants in Jubail. The sounds of explosions were very loud," the source told AFP, referring to the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation.

Jubail in eastern Saudi Arabia is home to one of the world's largest industrial cities, where steel, gasoline, petrochemicals, lubricating oil and chemical fertilizers are produced.

Saudi authorities did not make any official statements about the attack, but the kingdom's defense ministry said earlier that it had intercepted 18 drones Tuesday morning, without specifying where.

Unconfirmed video circulating on social media purportedly showed parts of the al-Jubail Industrial City engulfed in flames.

CBS/AFP

At least 18 civilians were killed, including two young children, in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes early Tuesday morning in the Iranian province of Alborz, just west of Tehran, according to its Deputy Governor of Ghodratollah Seif.

"Israeli fighter jets, with direct U.S. support, cowardly struck the homes and shelters of our defenseless citizens in Alborz Province. So far, 18 civilians have been confirmed killed, including two young children. 24 others were injured and have been rushed to medical centers for treatment," Seif said, according to state media. "Rescue and security teams are working around the clock in the affected areas."

Alborz province is where the B1 bridge is located. The massive infrastructure project, which is still in the works, was heavily damaged by a U.S. strike last week. President Trump touted the strike and has threatened to blow up all of Iran's bridges if the regime doesn't make a deal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday night.

U.S.-Israeli strikes early on Tuesday "completely destroyed" a synagogue in Tehran, Iran's Mehr news agency and the Shargh newspaper reported.

"According to preliminary information, the Rafi-Nia Synagogue ... was completely destroyed in this morning's attacks," Shargh wrote.

Judaism is one of Iran's legally recognized minority religions, and the country has a small Jewish community, although many members fled in the aftermath of the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

There are no publicly available official numbers, but Iran is thought to still have a few thousand Jewish people.

Shargh called the synagogue "one of the most important places for Khorasan Jews to gather and celebrate," referring to the northeastern province of Iran.

Shia Islam is the majority religion in Iran, but the constitution recognizes Sunni Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity as minority sects, with each represented in parliament.

The Israel Defense Forces warned Iranians Tuesday morning to avoid taking trains for about 12 hours.

The IDF issued the warning in Farsi on social media shortly before 9 a.m. Tehran time (1:20 a.m. EDT). 

In a post titled "Urgent Warning to Users and Train Passengers in the Country of Iran," the IDF said, "Dear Citizens, for the sake of your security, we kindly request that from this moment until 21:00 Iran time (1:30 p.m. EDT), you refrain from using and traveling by train throughout Iran. Your presence on trains and near railway lines endangers your life."

The IDF seemed to be signaling upcoming strikes on Iran's railways, which would be a further expansion of targeting against civilian infrastructure in the combined U.S.-Israeli strikes. President Trump has already touted the destruction of a large bridge near Tehran, and threatened to destroy all of Iran's bridges and power plants if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday evening.

Both the U.S. and Israel insist that their militaries do not deliberately target civilians, but a strike hit an elementary school early in the war, killing about 170 children, and Iranian officials said a major university was bombed this week. Health care facilities have also been heavily damaged during the war.

Asked Monday about President Trump's repeated deadlines and ultimatums, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei told reporters in Tehran that U.S. officials "have been trying to intimidate Iranians with such literature for 48 years."

"But Iranians are not going to be subdued by such deadlines in defending their country, and these actions merely express the intentions of those who raise them," he said. "We will not allow ourselves the slightest hesitation in responding and defending the country, and our armed forces have shown how they act in the face of aggression."

Baqaei said it was "the duty of the entire international community to stand against this process of normalizing the lawlessness" of U.S. and Israeli threats and actions.

"Iran is not just defending the Iranian nation, it is defending the order based on international law," he said.

He said Iran would not agree to any temporary ceasefire, which he said would only mean "a pause in the war with the aim of re-energizing the aggressors and carrying out further attacks," but added that while the military carried on "fulfilling their duties," Iran's diplomats would continue negotiating for a broader agreement to end the war.

"Our demand is the end of the imposed war, in addition to the assurance that this cycle and these attacks will not be repeated again," he said.

President Trump told CBS News' Weijia Jiang during a news conference on Monday that "we have to have a deal that's acceptable to me" to end the Iran war, including ensuring "free traffic of oil" through the Strait of Hormuz 

Earlier Monday, Iran rejected the U.S.' 15-point peace proposal and responded with its own set of terms. Mr. Trump told reporters Iran's offer was "not good enough," but he called it a "significant step."

In response to a question about whether the war is about to escalate or nearing an end, Mr. Trump earlier said it would depend on how Iran responds to his 8 p.m. Eastern deadline on Tuesday to open the Strait.

"This is a critical period," he said. "They have 'til tomorrow. Now we'll see what happens. I can tell you they're negotiating, we think in good faith."