Live updates: Follow the latest news on the Iran war
The Israeli military said it carried out a "large-scale wave of attacks" on transport routes across Iran on Tuesday, as a deadline for a deal imposed by US President Donald Trump nears.
Blasts were reported on Iran's oil-producing Kharg Island. The attacks come amid last-ditch efforts to avert an escalation as President Trump renewed his threats against Iran.
"A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will," wrote Mr Trump on Truth Social, before an 8pm deadline he has set for Tehran to make a deal.
"However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalised 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," he continued.
Iranian state media reported US-Israeli attacks on transport infrastructure across the country, after Israel told Iranians to avoid using trains or going near railway lines. “Your presence on trains or in proximity to railway tracks puts your lives at risk,' said the Israeli military.
One US-Israeli attack near the Tabriz-Tehran motorway temporarily blocked traffic on both sides, said Iranian state media. Authorities urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel. The Yahyaabad railway bridge in Kashan city also came under attack, as well as other bridges in the west of Qom province, state media added.
In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard said "restraint is over" and that it would attack infrastructure to deprive the US and its allies of oil and gas "for years".
Fighting between the US, Israel and Iran is continuing to rage amid last-ditch efforts to end the regional war. Qatar warned on Tuesday that the conflict could soon "spiral out of control" if an agreement is not reached.
"We are close to the point where the situation in the region could spiral out of control," said Qatar's foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari in a press briefing. He said Doha supports Pakistan-led mediation efforts, adding that "there are no winners if this war continues".
Iranian state media said on Tuesday US-Israeli strikes “completely destroyed” a synagogue in central Tehran when an adjacent residential building was attacked. The strikes were among a series of attacks overnight that killed at least 18 people, including two children, across Iran, local media reported.
The fight goes on
Israel’s military confirmed it had carried out wide-scale air strikes on Iran last night, including on a petrochemical compound in the south-western Iranian city of Shiraz. The attack comes after similar previous strikes on major petrochemical sites, including in Mahshahr. Two of the sites, which are responsible for about 85 per cent of Iran's petrochemical exports, were taken out of service, said Israel Katz, the Israeli Defence Minister, on Monday. Iran, in turn, has hit several oil and gas and petrochemical complexes across the Gulf in retaliation.
Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defence said seven ballistic missiles were intercepted and destroyed overnight, with debris falling near energy plants. The projectiles had been heading towards the Saudi's Eastern Province, it added.
Movement across the King Fahd Causeway linking Saudi Arabia and Bahrain was suspended for hours on Tuesday as a precautionary measure, authorities said.
Meanwhile, Oman's Sultan Haitham held talks with Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah in Muscat on the “painful” repercussions of the war on the region and the global economy. The sultan stressed the need to intensify efforts towards de-escalation and finding solutions to end the crisis to safeguard the region's security and stability.
Iran responded to a US ceasefire proposal on Monday with its own draft proposal to end the conflict, rejecting a temporary truce while calling for a permanent end to the war and a broader regional settlement, Iranian state media reported.
Irna news agency said Tehran conveyed its response through Pakistan, outlining a set of demands that include an end to conflicts in the region, protocol to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, reconstruction and the lifting of sanctions.
'Every power plant burning'
Mr Trump has said Iran's proposal is significant but not enough, adding that the Tuesday deadline for Tehran to make a deal is final.
“They made a proposal, and it's a significant proposal. It's a significant step. It's not good enough,” Mr Trump said. “It could end very quickly, the war, if they do what they have to do,” he said during an annual Easter event at the White House.
The US President also said any deal with Tehran must be “acceptable to me”, repeating threats of heavy strikes across Iran if they fail to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday's 8pm deadline.
“Every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding and never to be used again, I mean complete demolition,” he said. “Do I want to destroy their infrastructure? No, it would take them 100 years to rebuild right now. If we left today, it would take them 20 years to rebuild their country and it would never be as good as it was.”
