There are no countdown clocks yet, but news outlets are making viewers well aware of the 8 p.m. ET hour, the deadline that Donald Trump has set for Iran to agree to a deal or face “complete demolition.”
CNN is planning a two-hour special edition of AC 360 at 8 p.m., with Anderson Cooper hosting CNN Global Report: War with Iran. NewsNation is planning a special breaking news edition of Cuomo, hosted by Chris Cuomo, at 8 p.m., followed by On Balance with Leland Vittert and Katie Pavlich Tonight. NewsNation’s Robert Sherman will report from Tel Aviv, Jessica Kartalija from Doha, Qatar and Kellie Meyer in Washington, D.C.
No indication yet from MS NOW and Fox News if they plan to shift from their regularly scheduled programming. But it would surprising if they didn’t go to some form of Breaking News special report if circumstances demand it.
With tough talk Monday at the White House on Iran, Trump threatened online this morning that “whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” What form that destruction will or could take has not been specified, but Iranian bridges and power stations have been called out as targets.
Broadcast networks are watching the situation to prepare for any special reports. As of now, the Season 2 finale of ABC‘s High Potential, new episodes of NCIS and NCIS: Origins on CBS, the NBA on NBC and Fox’s Best Medicine and The Big Chair are all set to air in primetime tonight.
On Fox News, Mike Tobin, reporting from Tel Aviv, reported on Israel’s attacks on bridges with rail lines on them, but noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the infrastructure is being used by the military. The network also showed images from Tabriz, Iran of civilians waving Iranian flags next to a power plant, with Tobin describing them as “human shields.”
“It’s not clear how many of them were aware that President Trump’s deadline was coming,” Tobin said, given the limited internet access.
Trump has threatened to bomb civilian targets, including power plants and bridges, unless Iran at least agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Since the start of the war five weeks ago, oil prices have shot up, threatening the global economy, as Iran took advantage of the geographic chokehold over the vital shipping lane.
With his bellicose rhetoric and the imposition of a deadline, Trump has focused media attention on the moment, as he is apt to do, the difference being that the stakes are so high. On Tuesday afternoon, he continued to play into the tension, taking calls from anchors and correspondents, including Fox News and NBC News. He reports that Iran was lining up people next to power plants.
“Totally illegal,” he said. “They’re not allowed to do that.”
He also was asked what led him to post on Truth Social on Tuesday morning his threat that “a whole civilization will die tonight.” “You’ll have to figure that out,” he said.
His vows to hit civilian infrastructure would violate the Geneva Conventions and have drawn condemnation from some of his former die-hard supporters including Tucker Carlson and ex-MAGA loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene, who earlier Tuesday called for invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump and put JD Vance in the Oval Office. Some on the right, though, have dismissed Trump’s threats as negotiating tactics.
As the countdown continues, Trump himself seems to be spending time between taking media calls to post support and endorsements online for dozens of Congressional and state candidates.
In the region itself, Trump’s deadline has led Al Jazeera coverage.
The outlet’s Ali Hashem has reported from Tehran on the latest proposal from the Pakistani prime minister for an extension of the deadline. The deal would include a two-week ceasefire that could see a reopening of the strait.
The U.S. has not yet responded.