By BASSEM MROUE, JON GAMBRELL, MIKE CORDER and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump is threatening that a "whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran fails to meet his latest deadline to strike a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Trump's expansive threat did not seem to account for potential harm to civilians. It prompted Democrats in Congress, some United Nations officials and scholars in military law to say such strikes would violate international law. Meanwhile, the Islamic Republic urged young people to form human chains around power plants and other potential targets. The president insisted the deadline is final and will expire at 8 p.m. in Washington. Pakistan's prime minister urged Trump to extend his deadline for Iran by two weeks, to allow diplomacy to advance.
By MATT SEDENSKY and STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press
Travelers are scrambling for ways out of the Middle East as the Iran war keeps much of the region's airspace closed and flights grounded. The conflict that started Saturday when the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran stranded airline passengers in major Mideast cities as well as in countries far from the threat of airstrikes. With commercial flights tightly restricted across much of the Gulf for a fourth day, many were unsure what to do and appealed to their governments for information and exit strategies. The U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that it was "actively securing" military and charter aircraft to fly Americans out of the region.
By JON GAMBRELL and TIA GOLDENBERG Associated Press
U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the Middle East this week as scheduled won't include a trip to Israel to discuss the war in Gaza or talks with Iran about its nuclear program. Instead, Trump will travel to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, three energy-rich monarchies home to existing or planned Trump-branded real estate projects. These are places where he aims to leverage American economic interests to do what he personally revels in: making business deals. But Trump won't be able to avoid altogether diplomacy on Gaza or Iran. The Gulf countries hosting him are also interested in easing the regional tensions.
President Donald Trump plans to announce next week that the U.S. will refer to the Persian Gulf as the Arabian Gulf or the Gulf of Arabia. That's according to two U.S. officials who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Trump is traveling to Saudi Arabia next week. Arab nations have pushed for a change to the geographic name of the body of water off the southern coast of Iran, while Iran has maintained its historic ties to the gulf. The White House and National Security Council didn't immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
