Iran rejects Trump's deadline; escalation fears surge across the Gulf.

[0:00] The agreement could come within a matter of days rather than a matter of weeks. [0:05] So you've got this dichotomous approach from the president, [0:08] on the one hand threatening obliteration to civilian targets within Iran, [0:14] which some observers would contend to be a war crime, [0:17] but on the other hand what he is saying is, [0:20] yes, we are talking, the talks are going well, [0:23] and they could come to fruition before that new deadline I set, [0:27] which is 8 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday. [0:30] Mike Hanna, Al Jazeera, Washington. [0:33] Well, the Speaker of Iran's parliament has also responded to Trump. [0:37] In a social media post, Mohamed Baghe Galibaf wrote, [0:41] quote, [0:41] Let's bring in Mohamed Val, who is live for us in Tehran. [0:59] Mohamed, so Iran, [1:01] standing firm against President Trump's threat to target its power plants [1:05] if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. [1:08] He's also been accusing Washington of potential war crimes. [1:12] What else have we heard from Iran today? [1:17] Well, that's right. [1:18] Many Iranian leaders have been expressing the same ideas, [1:22] particularly over the last 24 hours, as that deadline approaches. [1:26] And we have more statements from the foreign ministry spokesman, [1:33] Shabazz, [1:33] and Ismail Baqai, aside from what you have mentioned in your intro here, [1:36] also talked about the foundational principles of Iran's approach [1:42] and why Iran thinks that it has the right to defend itself in this war [1:46] and that it is waging a legal war, an existential war. [1:50] On the other hand, he described the American war as illegal [1:54] and as a war that is imposed on everyone [1:58] and also as a war that is based on a series of lies, [2:01] including the lie that Iran, [2:03] Iran has been pursuing the production of a nuclear weapon, [2:06] also that Iran has been presenting an imminent threat to the United States, [2:10] and also that this war is waged for the liberation of the Iranian people. [2:17] So basically the leaders here are reiterating the same thing [2:20] that they have been saying from day one, [2:21] that nothing, no threats, no amount of threats by the Americans [2:26] is going to change the course of action as Iranians have decided on it. [2:32] And that also the Strait of Hormuz, [2:34] by the way, the commander of the IRGC said once again [2:38] that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to the status, [2:41] to the situation that was before the war. [2:44] And that from now on, it's not only going to be under the control of Iran, [2:48] but it is also going to be a source of income for Iran. [2:53] Iran is going to, and this is not his statement today, [2:56] but they have been saying this many times during the last few days, [3:00] that Iran is going to impose a new system, [3:03] a new approach on the ground, [3:04] the Strait of Hormuz, [3:05] whereby Iran can extract fees from ships that pass through the state [3:09] to compensate for the loss and the destruction [3:13] that has been inflicted on the country since the beginning of this war. [3:16] So they are very clearly adamant that they are not going to change course, [3:23] they're not going to be intimidated by the threats, [3:25] and that they can defend themselves also by way of retaliation. [3:30] They're going to strike back on similar facilities across the region. [3:33] If the power plants in Iran are destroyed by the Americans. [3:38] Meanwhile, Mohamed, on the ground, attacks on Iran have continued. [3:42] We're hearing of attacks in Bushehr province. [3:45] Now, this is, of course, where the Bushehr nuclear power plant is. [3:49] So what more can you tell us about those attacks and how serious they are? [3:55] Well, in just a few moments ago, there were blasts across the capital, [3:59] particularly the outskirts of the city, [4:01] the south and the west and the southeast. [4:05] Big blasts. [4:06] Reported by people who are the eyewitnesses and so on. [4:09] We were not aware of specific targets that have been hit, [4:14] but that has been happening just a while ago. [4:16] But also we have the longest series of cities today [4:19] that have been bombarded across the country, particularly in the south. [4:23] We have Mahshahr city, we have Bandar Lenge, [4:28] we have Kung city, where six people were killed [4:31] and 17 were wounded, according to local sources. [4:34] Shiraz, Isfahan, Karaj. [4:36] And... [4:37] And also Qom, you have mentioned that five people were killed in Qom. [4:40] So it's a relentless, ongoing campaign across the country. [4:44] But most importantly, Bushehr is drawing a lot of attention [4:49] and a lot of concern because of this fifth strike on Bushehr power plant. [4:55] That's the only power plant that is functioning in the country. [4:58] It has a tremendous amount of radioactive material in it. [5:02] And there are fears, not only Iran, but also in the world, [5:06] and particularly in the Middle East. [5:06] And particularly by the IAEA, that if this plant is... [5:11] If it is exploded, if it explodes, [5:15] then it will create a catastrophe, not only Iran, [5:18] but also across the Gulf region, [5:20] because it is very close to many of the countries in that region. [5:23] OK, thank you for that. [5:25] Mohamed Vah with the very latest from Tehran. [5:29] Well, the threat of escalation in Iran [5:30] puts the Gulf region squarely in the crossfire. [5:34] The sites Iran is threatening to hit back are almost entirely localised, [5:37] located in GCC countries, which are already coping with daily attacks. [5:42] Kuwait says it's been hit by a series of drone attacks. [5:45] Authorities have reported two major power and desalination plants were targeted. [5:51] One of the facilities is in Al-Zour, nearly 90km south of Kuwait City. [5:57] And another attack hit the Finance Ministry complex, [6:01] which is a building in central Kuwait City. [6:04] In Bahrain, Iran targeted an oil facility, [6:07] sparking several fires there.