U.S., Israel and Iran Accelerate Strikes Ahead of Trump’s Deadline
The United States and Israel are seeking to pressure Iran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. and Israeli officials, as the pace of attacks intensified on Tuesday and prospects for a deal to end the war appeared increasingly remote.
Israel struck eight road and rail bridges in Iran, while the U.S. hit military installations on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, a key node linked to Iran’s oil-export system. Iran retaliated with attempted strikes targeting energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, widening concerns over regional infrastructure risk.
The escalation came as Iran pulled out of negotiations with the United States, according to three senior Iranian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive diplomacy. They said the decision followed President Donald Trump’s threats that Iran’s “whole civilization” would be wiped out if its leaders did not meet his demands by an 8 p.m. Eastern deadline.
American and Israeli officials familiar with the operations said the intensifying campaign is aimed at forcing Tehran to reopen the strategic shipping lane through Hormuz, which Trump has made a central condition for relenting. Early Tuesday, the U.S. conducted more than 90 strikes on Kharg Island; a U.S. military official described them as “restrikes,” intended to hit previously targeted sites again to ensure greater damage.
Israeli strikes were reported across Iran, largely focused on transportation infrastructure, with at least one hit on a petrochemical facility in Shiraz. Israel has also struck other petrochemical sites in recent days, saying Iran uses them to produce explosives and materials for ballistic missiles.
Iranian state media reported that an Israeli strike destroyed a synagogue. Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the Jewish community’s representative in Iran’s parliament, said Torah scrolls at the Rafi-Nia synagogue are now buried under rubble, according to Press TV. Israel’s military, posting in Persian on X, expressed regret for “collateral damage,” saying the synagogue was hit as it targeted a senior commander on Tuesday evening.
Iran fired missiles at Israel and across the Persian Gulf toward Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with each saying they intercepted incoming barrages. Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said debris from an intercepted missile fell near energy facilities in the country’s east and that damage assessments were underway. Authorities in Sharjah, part of the UAE, said they were responding to a ballistic-missile incident that targeted an administrative building for a telecommunications company; two Pakistani nationals suffered moderate injuries and were hospitalized, Sharjah’s media office said.
The Israel Defense Forces said two Iranian missile barrages were launched in less than 30 minutes just before 7 p.m. local time. Police said officers were dispatched to several sites hit by falling debris, and authorities reported no known fatalities. Israel’s national emergency service, Magen David Adom, said 25 people were injured over the past day in missile and rocket attacks by Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah.
Source : Newsmaker.id
