Iran says Majid Khademi, the intelligence chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), was killed in a US-Israeli strike early Monday morning, with Israel later claiming responsibility for the attack.
US President Donald Trump, in a sharply worded escalation, appeared to set a deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by 20:00 ET on Tuesday (01:00 BST Wednesday), while issuing an expletive-laden warning on Iranian infrastructure.
“Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!!” Trump said, in remarks widely condemned for their tone and implications.
In response, Tehran warned of “much more devastating” retaliation, signalling a further escalation in regional tensions already running at breaking point.
Our correspondent Lyse Doucet reports that “frantic, last ditch diplomacy is accelerating,” though one insider cautioned that any meaningful negotiations would require a ceasefire first. The status of ongoing talks remains uncertain, with conflicting signals from all sides.
Meanwhile, attacks continue across the wider region, including strikes and retaliatory operations in Iran, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Thousands have been killed since the war began, the vast majority in Iran and Lebanon, underscoring the rapidly widening human cost of the conflict.
Boluwatife Enome
