"Deadline" countdown: US and Israel apply maximum pressure, Iran stands firm, Middle East crisis escalates again

Before the deadline set by U.S. President Trump for Iran arrives, Israel and the United States carried out large-scale attacks on multiple places across Iran for seven days, including highways, bridges, and other civilian infrastructure, and launched several attacks on the Iranian oil export hub of Khark Island. On the same day, Trump posted a message on social media threatening Iran, saying, “Tonight, the entire civilization will end.” On July 7, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched the 99th-wave offensive of “True Promise-4” against the United States and Israel.

This is an image taken in Tehran on April 7 of Iran’s Sharif University of Technology after it was hit by U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Shahdati Iran’s infrastructure across multiple locations was attacked

According to a July 7 report by Iran’s Islamic Republic News Agency, the United States and Israel attacked a railroad bridge in the city of Kashan, Iran, causing 2 deaths and 3 injuries. Iran’s Islamic Republic Broadcasting and Television said on July 7 that the U.S. and Israel attacked a bridge on the outskirts of the city of Qom in Iran that day.

On July 7, Iran’s Red Crescent Society said that the railroad in the Karaj region of Iran was attacked. Iranian media said on the same day that power supply was interrupted in parts of Karaj due to shelling of power transmission lines.

According to reports by Iranian media, the U.S. and Israel’s attacks caused multiple segments of roads in Iran to be closed.

On July 7, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu confirmed that the Israeli Air Force attacked railways and bridges within Iran that day. In a video statement, Netanyahu said that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps used these railways and bridges to transport weapons and personnel who carried out attacks against Israel, the United States, and other countries. He said Israel’s airstrikes against Iran “are continually increasing in intensity.”

In a statement released the same day, the Israel Defense Forces said it had carried out large-scale strikes within Iran, targeting dozens of infrastructure sites in multiple regions within Iran.

The July 7 Wall Street Journal, citing U.S. officials, reported that the U.S. struck more than 50 military targets on Khark Island, Iran’s oil export hub, without affecting oil infrastructure. Separately, according to Iran’s Mehr News Agency, the United States and Israel carried out several attacks on Khark Island, and explosions could be heard on the island.

Trump threatens Iran: “The entire civilization will perish”

On July 7, Trump issued a new threat to Iran, saying, “Tonight, the entire civilization will perish and never return.”

Trump wrote on social media: “I don’t want this to happen, but it may… it may happen some revolutionary miracles, who knows? Tonight, we will witness.”

At a press conference at the White House on June 6, Trump said whether the fighting with Iran is about to escalate or is nearing an end depends on Iran’s response to the “deadline” he set for it, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 7 (8:00 a.m. Beijing time on August 8).

On July 7, U.S. Vice President Vance, who is visiting Hungary, said that the goals of the U.S. military actions against Iran had essentially been achieved. He also urged Iran to respond to negotiations before 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time on July 7 (8:00 a.m. Beijing time on August 8).

On April 7, in the Prime Minister’s Office in Budapest, Hungary, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (right) and U.S. Vice President Vance attended a joint press conference. Photo by Xinhua News Agency (Bolog Davide photo) Vance that day at the joint press conference in Budapest with Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán said the United States will continue to contain Iran’s weapons production. He warned that the time window for Iran to open negotiations is narrowing.

According to a report by foreign media on July 7, the United States denied that it is considering using nuclear weapons in Iran.

Reuters on July 7, citing an Iranian source, said that Iran refuses to reach “any interim ceasefire” with the United States.

The unnamed Iranian official said that Iran set “prerequisites” for reaching an agreement on “lasting peace” with the United States, including that the other side immediately stop attacks on Iran, pledge not to launch attacks against it again, and compensate Iran for losses. He said that such a peace agreement should allow Iran to charge fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran launches the 99th-wave offensive of “True Promise-4”

On July 7, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps issued a statement warning neighboring countries, saying, “Restraint has ended.” It said it would strike infrastructure of the United States and its allies, and threatened to cut off the supply of oil and natural gas to the United States and its allies in the region within the coming years.

According to a July 7 report by Iran’s Fars News Agency, the Iranian armed forces said they attacked power facilities and fuel depots near the southern Israeli city of Dimona, the U.S. Navy repair center located at Al-Arish Port in the United Arab Emirates, and the U.S. military radar systems and some buildings at the Ahmad Jabir Air Base in Kuwait.

Citing a statement from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps on July 7, the Islamic Republic News Agency said that the Revolutionary Guards launched the 99th-wave offensive of “True Promise-4” that day, using ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones to strike U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz regions, as well as Israel’s military assembly sites and command and control centers.

The statement said that this round of offensive is intended to respond to attacks by the enemy on large petrochemical complexes in the southern Iranian Asalouyeh area. “We will retaliate without hesitation for any act of attacking civilian infrastructure.”

Multinational opposition to attacks on civilian infrastructure calls for an end to hostilities

On July 7, in a routine press briefing held in Brussels, the Chief Spokesperson for the European Union’s foreign affairs and security policy, Anita Shipel, said that the EU opposes any threats and attacks targeting critical civilian infrastructure and reiterated that diplomatic resolution is the right approach.

In response to reporters’ questions about Trump’s threats to blow up Iran’s power plants and bridges, Shipel said that such attacks could affect hundreds of millions of people in the Middle East and even a wider area and could lead to further, more dangerous escalation of the situation.

This shows the damaged condition of the Beykek Road Bridge in Karaj, Iran, after being hit by an airstrike on April 3. The bridge was damaged by two airstrikes by the United States and Israel on the 2nd. Photo released by Xinhua News Agency. According to a message published on the website of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on July 7, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov spoke by phone with Abdullah, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, exchanging views on the continued deterioration of the military and political situation in the Persian Gulf region. Both sides called for an immediate halt to hostilities in that region.

On July 7, a spokesperson for the Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ansari, said that the window for resolving the current regional conflict through diplomatic means is closing rapidly, the situation is approaching the point of “runaway escalation,” and continued hostilities do not serve the long-term interests of any country.

On July 7, Norwegian Prime Minister Støre said that Trump’s latest remarks threatening Iran are concerning; the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran cannot be solved through military means, and diplomatic approaches must be taken instead.

（Source: Xinhua News Agency）