Adds details on the latest diplomatic moves to end the war
US president Donald Trump warned Iranian civilization "will die" tonight if Tehran does not accede to his demands and assure safe passage through the strait of Hormuz.
Trump has threatened to destroy "every" bridge and power plant in Iran starting at 8pm ET on Tuesday and says such a mission could be accomplished in four hours.
"A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again," Trump warned in a post on his social media platform on Tuesday. "I don't want that to happen, but it probably will."
Trump said the US-Israel military strikes on Iran have already brought about regime change in Tehran that has created an environment "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. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!" Trump wrote.
Trump has repeatedly pushed back the timing of his threat to destroy Iran's infrastructure, most recently at the weekend when he said the attack would take place on Tuesday rather than on Monday. Trump said he did not want to attack the day after Easter. Iran has threatened to respond to any attacks on its power infrastructure with a corresponding attack on neighboring countries that are hosting US military infrastructure.
Trump has dismissed suggestions attacks on Iran's bridges and power plants could be deemed war crimes.
Diplomacy continues
Pakistan-led diplomatic efforts aimed at ending the US-Israel war with Iran have reached a critical stage, Iran's ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam said Tuesday.
Pakistan has been leading mediation efforts between Washington and Tehran over the past two weeks, working alongside countries like Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia. Moghaddam described Islamabad's interventions as "positive and productive".
The comments provide some hope for de-escalation, although Tehran and Washington have publicly dismissed terms of a ceasefire proposed by Pakistan. Before his threat to end Iranian civilisation, Trump called the proposals "significant" but "not good enough". Iran has said a ceasefire would only provide a "pause" for the US and Israel to refresh their military forces and equipment in preparation for a new attack.
"No intelligent person would accept such a thing," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said. "Our demand is for an end to the imposed war, along with assurances that this vicious cycle will not be repeated."
