Escalating tensions in the Middle East intensified on Tuesday as Iran called on citizens to form human chains around power plants, while Saudi Arabia closed the only road linking it to Bahrain following missile strikes by Tehran. The moves come amid a looming deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by 8 p.m. EDT.

The Israeli military issued warnings in Farsi advising Iranians to avoid trains until at least 9 p.m., likely indicating potential new targets for airstrikes. Due to internet shutdowns in Iran, many citizens remain unaware of these alerts, though Farsi-language satellite news channels continue to broadcast them abroad.

Early Tuesday, Tehran launched seven ballistic missiles toward Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province. Saudi officials reported that debris from intercepted missiles fell near energy facilities. In response, authorities closed the King Fahd Causeway, the only road linking Bahrain to the Arabian Peninsula and home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, citing the threat of further attacks.

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Iranian authorities urged “all young people, athletes, artists, students and university professors” to form human chains around power plants to protect critical infrastructure, a tactic used previously at nuclear sites. Alireza Rahimi, secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, described the facilities as “national assets… belonging to the future of Iran and Iranian youth.”

The conflict has sent global oil prices soaring, with Brent crude trading above $111 per barrel, up more than 50% since the start of the war. President Trump reiterated that civilian infrastructure could be targeted if Iran does not comply, prompting warnings of potential war crimes from U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres and international leaders, including New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon.

Casualties continue to rise across the region. Since the war began, over 1,900 people have died in Iran, more than 1,400 in Lebanon, and more than 23 in Israel. Eleven Israeli soldiers and 13 U.S. service members have also been killed, while more than one million people have been displaced. Meanwhile, Japan announced the release on bail of one of its citizens detained in Iran since January, though authorities continue to press for full release.

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