The pace of bombardment in all directions accelerated on Tuesday as a deal to end the Iran war seemed increasingly distant. Israel struck eight road and rail bridges in Iran while the U.S. attacked military installations on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. Iran retaliated with attempted strikes on energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The escalation came as Iran pulled out of negotiations with the United States, according to three senior Iranian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive diplomacy. That decision was in response to threats made by President Trump to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization” if its leaders did not acquiesce to his demands by an 8 p.m. Eastern deadline.
The United States and Israel are intensifying attacks in an effort to force Iran to open the strategic shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz, which is Mr. Trump’s main condition for relenting, according to American and Israel officials with knowledge of the operations. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.
Israeli strikes were widespread across Iran. Most targeted transportation infrastructure, but at least one targeted a petrochemical facility in the city of Shiraz. In the past few days, Israel struck several other petrochemical facilities, which it claims Iran uses to make explosives and materials for ballistic missiles.
Two strikes in Tehran remained unclaimed by U.S. or Israeli forces. One hit the city’s Grand Bazaar and killed at least one person and destroyed several shops, according to Jalal Maleki, a spokesman for the city’s fire department, in comments carried by Iranian state media.
Another destroyed a synagogue, Iranian state media said on Tuesday. The Rafi-Nia synagogue held Torah scrolls that are now buried beneath rubble, Homayoun Sameyah Najafabadi, the Jewish community’s representative in the Iranian Parliament, told the state broadcaster Press TV.
Iran lobbed missiles at Israel and across the Persian Gulf at Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom said they were intercepting missile barrages.
Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry said that debris from an intercepted missile had fallen near energy facilities in the country’s east and that the damage was being assessed.
The authorities in Sharjah, part of the United Arab Emirates, said they were responding to an incident involving a ballistic missile from Iran, which targeted an administrative building for a telecommunications company. Two Pakistani nationals sustained moderate injuries and were hospitalized, the Sharjah government’s media office said.
The Israeli Defense Forces announced two missile barrages from Iran in the span of less than 30 minutes just before 7 p.m. local time. The police said officers were dispatched to several sites hit by fallen debris. There were no known casualties, the authorities said. Overall, 25 people in Israel were injured in the past day from missile and rocket attacks by Iran and its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, according to Magen David Adom, the national emergency service.
Tyler Pager, Ismaeel Naar, Farnaz Fassihi, Erika Solomon, Johnatan Reiss and Euan Ward contributed reporting.
Max Bearak is a correspondent for The Times focusing on breaking and international news.
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