President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz
The U.S. and Iran failed to reach a peace deal after 21 hours of negotiations.
President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military and government sites.
Trump set a deadline for Iran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz or face broad strikes on its critical infrastructure. Hours before the deadline expired, Trump said he had agreed to suspend planned bombing for two weeks if Iran agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi then said that "safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he supported the ceasefire with Iran, but that Lebanon -- where intense Israeli strikes continued -- was not covered by the agreement, despite Iranian protests.
Key Headlines
- US blockade of Iranian ports to begin Monday, CENTCOM says
- Military vessels approaching Strait of Hormuz 'will be met with severe force,' IRGC says
- DOJ will 'vigorously prosecute' buyers or sellers of sanctioned Iranian oil, Blanche says
- Despite blockade announcement, Trump urges Iran to open Strait of Hormuz
- President Trump says US Navy will begin blockade of Strait of Hormuz
IDF hits petrochemical facilities in Shiraz
The Israel Defense Forces on Tuesday confirmed another strike on Iranian petrochemical facilities, with the latest attack targeting a petrochemical complex in the southern city of Shiraz.
The IDF said in a post to X that the complex produced chemical components used to make explosives and materials for ballistic missiles.
The IDF also said in posts to X on Tuesday that it attacked a ballistic missile site in northwestern Iran and that it completed an "extensive strike mission" targeting government infrastructure in Tehran and elsewhere in the country.
IDF tells Iranians to avoid railways until Tuesday night
The Israel Defense Forces' Farsi language X account on Tuesday morning issued a warning to all Iranians to "refrain from using and traveling by train throughout Iran" until 9 p.m. local time.
"Your presence on trains and near railway lines endangers your life," the post said.
Saudi Arabia says forces intercepted 7 missiles, 18 drones
The Saudi Defense Ministry said in posts to X on Tuesday morning that its forces intercepted seven ballistic missiles and 18 drones fired toward the country.
The ministry said that missile debris fell "in the vicinity of energy facilities" and that damage assessment is ongoing.
IRGC calls Trump's threats 'baseless'
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps called President Donald Trump's threats to destroy all of Iran’s bridges and power plants if a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz isn't reached "baseless" and vowed to continue their operations.
"The rude rhetoric, arrogance and baseless threats of the delusional U.S. president, arising from the deadlock he faces and aimed at justifying the repeated defeats of the U.S. military, will have no effect on the continuation of offensive and crushing operations by the fighters of Islam against U.S. and Israeli enemies, and will not repair the humiliation of the United States in West Asia," IRGC spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaqari said in a statement published in Iranian state media.