Iran Threatens Gulf Attacks; White House: "Ready for the Military Option"

Several U.S. media outlets reported this evening (Tuesday) that senior officials in the Trump administration said there are plans to resume strikes in Iran. President Donald Trump held a consultation with his vice president, J.D. Vance, and with War Secretary Pete Hegseth. 

At the end of it, Trump announced that, at Pakistan's request, he is extending the cease-fire, which was due to expire tonight, until the Iranian regime submits a concrete proposal for an agreement. However, according to Trump, the naval blockade will continue. Also, it was decided that, for now, an American delegation will not depart for Pakistan, and in practice there will be no talks with Iran until further notice. 

Earlier today, Trump stressed that "there isn't much time left for negotiations," and reiterated that he does not wish to extend the cease-fire agreement, which will expire in the coming 24 hours. In addition, Trump clarified that "the U.S. is prepared for the military option as well."

Meanwhile, in Iran, a statement was reportedly published and attributed to the Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei. In the statement, Khamenei said: "There are no negotiations at the moment; we will hold them when the enemy accepts our conditions."

Also, Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a former member of Iran's negotiating team, published a message that sparked widespread alarm in the Gulf. "Everyone should immediately leave the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait," he wrote in a post on X. "Sailors on all vessels in the Persian Gulf must also prepare to abandon their ships. This is especially urgent for ships near the Strait of Hormuz, which will be the first to be destroyed. Time is running out."

In the U.S., it was reported that the Department of Homeland Security's plane, which was scheduled to fly Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner from Miami to Pakistan this evening, took off from Miami to Washington. The two were asked to come to the White House for talks with President Trump. The plane of Vice President J.D. Vance is also still at Andrews Base in Washington and has not departed for Pakistan.