As Trump’s Tuesday evening deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz ticks closer, Iranian officials are moving on two fronts: rallying citizens to volunteer as human shields around the country’s power plants, and signaling a willingness to sacrifice everything in defense of the nation.

Alireza Rahimi, secretary of the Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, called on “young people, athletes, artists, students, university students, and their professors” to form human chains around power plants at 2 p.m., according to AP. He described the facilities as national assets belonging to Iran’s future.

Hours later, President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X that more than 14 million Iranians had already declared readiness to give their lives for the country, and that he was among them. He wrote that he “has been, is, and will be” devoted to Iran.

The dual moves came directly in response to Trump’s threat to strike Iranian power plants and bridges if Tehran did not reopen the strait by Tuesday evening. Iran has warned that any attack on its energy network would trigger retaliation against civilian infrastructure across the region, including Israeli power plants, gas rigs, and desalination systems.

Negotiations appeared close to collapse. US officials told mediators the gaps were too wide to bridge before the 8 p.m. deadline. Iran had already rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal, instead demanding a full end to hostilities and shipping guarantees through Hormuz. Pakistan, serving as the sole communication channel, was still attempting to broker partial confidence-building steps, but sources described the chances of a deal as slim.

The stakes extend well beyond the two countries. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade, and US intelligence has assessed that Iran is unlikely to relinquish its grip on the waterway in the near term.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)