US Denies Nuclear Plan as Deadline on Threat to Iran 'Civilisation' Looms

US Denies Nuclear Plan as Deadline on Threat to Iran 'Civilisation' Looms

The White House has denied that it has any plans to use nuclear weapons against Iran as a deadline imposed by President Donald Trump for Tehran to make a deal or face a massive onslaught looms.

The denial from Washington came on Tuesday, as the president employed apocalyptic language, warning that a 'whole civilisation will die tonight'.

US forces could employ tools they 'so far haven't decided to use', Vice President JD Vance said, sparking concerns that Trump 'might use nuclear weapons', according to former Vice President Kamala Harris's account.

However, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt appeared less certain when asked by the AFP news agency if Trump was prepared to use a nuclear weapon, stating that 'only the President knows where things stand and what he will do'.

The original ultimatum was made by Trump on Saturday, when he demanded that Iran make a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global energy exports pass, or face an assault on key infrastructure, including power plants and bridges.

The deadline falls at 8pm Eastern time (00:00 GMT), and legal experts say targeting civilian infrastructure could amount to a war crime.

The Iranian response has been defiant, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) stating that it will not hesitate to respond in kind if the US attacks civilian facilities.

The IRGC warned that its response will extend beyond the region if the US military crosses its red lines, targeting critical assets within Iranian fire range.

President Masoud Pezeskhian said that more than 14 million Iranians, including himself, have volunteered to fight to defend Iran.

As tensions escalate, US ⁠⁠strikes targeted military infrastructure on Iran's Kharg Island, a key energy export hub, although oil facilities were not hit.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli army had struck railways and bridges in Iran, and the military confirmed it had attacked bridge sections in several areas across the country.

Gulf countries continue to bear the brunt of Iran's retaliatory attacks, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait intercepting drones and the United Arab Emirates responding to an Iranian ballistic missile that targeted an administrative building of a telecommunication company.

Mediating countries seem to be hoping that a diplomatic breakthrough could still be made, with Iranian ambassador to Pakistan, Reza ⁠⁠Amiri Moghadam, stating that efforts to stop the war are approaching a 'critical, sensitive' stage.

The Iranian government proposed a 10-point peace plan to end the war, which Trump called a 'significant step' but 'not good enough'.