Iran’s top officials pushed back Monday against President Trump’s deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz, striking a defiant tone as the warring sides traded missile attacks. The U.S. and Israel targeted oil facilities inside Iran, while Iran hit several towns in Israel and oil refineries across the Gulf.
In a media post on Sunday, Trump gave Iran an ultimatum to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, saying the deadline expires Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. Hours earlier he posted a profane message threatening strikes on Iranian infrastructure if the strait remained closed. Attacking civilian infrastructure that does not contribute to military action is considered a war crime under the Geneva Conventions.
Iranian officials responded to the threats. A spokesman for Iran’s president, Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabai, called Trump’s statement a reaction of “sheer desperation and anger,” saying the Strait of Hormuz “will open when all the damages caused by the imposed war are compensated through a new legal regime, using a portion of the revenue from transit fees.” Iran’s foreign ministry said it was determined to defend national security and sovereignty “with all might,” and Iran’s mission to the U.N. accused Trump of seeking to “drag the region into an endless war” and of incitement to terrorize civilians.
Diplomatic initiatives under way
Envoys from Egypt, Pakistan and Turkey reportedly submitted to the U.S. and Iran a proposal for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Associated Press. The proposal was delivered to Iran’s foreign minister and to U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Qatar’s prime minister called for a return to negotiations, and Oman said it engaged with Iranian diplomats to discuss options to ensure the smooth flow of passage through the strait; experts from both sides presented proposals to be studied.
Israel says it killed the IRGC intelligence chief
Iran confirmed the killing of Majid Khadami, intelligence chief of the paramilitary Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said Israel would continue to “hunt down” Iran’s leaders and threatened to destroy Iran’s national infrastructure if attacks on Israeli civilians continue. Israel, facing heavy use of interceptor missiles, announced plans to speed up production of interceptors.
Strikes and counterstrikes across the region
Israeli officials said U.S. and Israeli jets struck Iran’s petrochemical industry, steel plants and other infrastructure, which Israel said supported Iran’s missile production. Iran launched missiles and drones at Israel and across the Persian Gulf, saying it targeted refineries and facilities that supply fuel to militaries. Iranian missiles hit Tel Aviv, other central towns and Haifa; four people were treated for mild injuries in Haifa after a missile struck a six-floor residential building. Four people were killed in Haifa on Sunday when an Iranian missile struck a residential building.
Iranian drones struck Kuwait’s oil sector complex in Shuwaikh, causing fires and material damage at facilities managed by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and other operators. Iran also hit power and desalination plants in Kuwait. In the UAE, a telecom building and a port were targeted; UAE authorities reported intercepting missiles and dozens of drones and said air defenses remained engaged.
Bab al-Mandeb strait as a potential target
Aliakbar Velayati, adviser to Iran’s newly appointed supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that Iran may target the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait — the chokepoint between Yemen and the Horn of Africa linking the Red Sea to the Suez Canal. He said Iran “views Bab al‑Mandab with the same intensity as Hormuz” and warned that the flow of energy and global trade could be disrupted, a message that suggested Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen could play a role.
Carrie Kahn and Daniel Estrin contributed from Tel Aviv; Aya Batrawy from Dubai; Tina Kraja from Washington, D.C.
