WASHINGTON, April 6. /TASS/. The US and Israel have approved a plan to carry out massive strikes on Iran’s key energy facilities, the Axios news website reports.
"Two sources said the operational plan for a massive US-Israeli bombing campaign against Iran's energy facilities is ready to go, but stressed the extension of [US President Donald] Trump's deadline was aimed at giving a last chance to reach a deal," the media outlet points out.
Trump said in an interview with Axios on Sunday that the US was "in deep negotiations" with Iran and that a deal could be reached before his deadline expired on April 7.
Earlier, Trump threatened to target energy and civilian infrastructure in Iran unless Tehran reopened the Strait of Hormuz by April 6. However, Trump later extended his deadline until 8:00 p.m. ET on April 7 (12:00 a.m. GMT on April 8).
The United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran on February 28. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were struck. The White House justified the attack by citing alleged missile and nuclear threats from Iran. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a retaliatory operation, targeting sites in Israel. US military bases in Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE were also hit.