As a U.S. military deadline looms, thousands of Iranians have formed human chains to protect critical infrastructure following President Donald Trump’s threat to “wipe out a civilization,” while a last-minute Pakistani peace proposal offers a potential diplomatic reprieve
Thousands of Iranians have taken to the streets of Tehran and other major cities to form human chains around bridges, power plants, and other strategic sites in a defiant show of solidarity against looming U.S. military strikes. The mobilization follows a series of escalatory statements by President Donald Trump, who warned on his Truth Social platform that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Trump has signaled that the U.S. military is prepared to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure into the “stone age” if Tehran fails to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by the midnight GMT Tuesday deadline. In response, the Iran Revolutionary Guard issued a chilling counter-ultimatum, stating: “Self-restraint is over. Our response will now be carried out without any consideration, depriving the U.S. and its allies of oil and gas for years. If the U.S. Army crosses red lines, our response will exceed the region’s boundaries.”
The intensifying rhetoric has drawn sharp condemnation from the Vatican, where Pope Leo—the first American pontiff—labeled the threats against the Iranian population as “truly unacceptable.” Speaking from the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo, the Pope urged global citizens to pressure their political representatives to halt the march toward total war. Despite the bellicose posturing, a potential diplomatic lifeline emerged less than four hours before the deadline through a proposal by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The “Sharif Plan” calls for a two-week extension of the deadline in exchange for the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Sharif noted that diplomatic efforts are “progressing steadily,” providing a slim window of hope for a de-escalation of the five-week-old conflict.
As the clock ticks toward midnight, both Washington and Tehran have confirmed they are reviewing the Pakistani proposal. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Axios that the President “has been made aware of the proposal, and a response will come,” while Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official claiming that Tehran is “positively reviewing” the terms. However, the atmosphere on the ground remains electric with tension; state media reports that Iranian authorities are holding out for a full end to the war rather than a simple ceasefire. With U.S. forces reportedly in position for a four-hour “complete demolition” campaign, the next few hours will determine if the Middle East plunges into an unprecedented infrastructure war or if the Pakistani mediation can secure a temporary peace.
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