Iran human shield dispute: Trump accuses Tehran of ‘illegal’ moves, White House addresses ceasefire
The White House discussed Pakistan’s proposed ceasefire as President Donald Trump’s 8 p.m. ET deadline approached. Press secretary Carolyn Leavitt said in an email to The Associated Press that the president “has been informed of the proposal and will respond.” Earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he had urged Trump to extend the deadline set for Iran and further called for a two-week ceasefire.
Trump calls Iran’s move ‘illegal’
Disturbing reports emerged on Tuesday that Iranian authorities were urging civilians to gather at sensitive locations such as power plants and bridges. According to reports circulating in the country and shared with the Daily Mail, state messaging encourages members of the public to show up at infrastructure sites – which could prevent any upcoming strikes or complicate attacks.
“They announced on national television – take your children to the streets,” a source with family in Iran told MailOnline. “What they’re doing is using the people as human shields. It’s the same model as in Palestine. They’re doing this rather than surrendering or making a deal.”
Read more: ‘Civilization does not die by bombing’: Iranian embassy responds to Trump’s threats
“In Iran, they gather in droves around infrastructure simply because they know Trump says we’re going to bomb the facilities. They announce it on Iranian state television – take your children to the streets. What they do is use people as human shields. The same goes for Palestine. They do that instead of surrendering or making a deal.”
Trump, meanwhile, reacted to the reports. “It’s completely illegal,” he said in a phone interview with NBC News. “They’re not allowed to do that.”
Trump’s warning raises risk
The escalating panic comes after Trump himself issued a stern warning on social media, where he outlined potential consequences if Iran did not comply.
“An entire civilization will die tonight and never rise again. I don’t want that to happen, but it might happen,” he wrote.
In cities such as Tehran and Isfahan, residents reportedly scrambled to leave urban centers, highways were blocked and many families sought safety in rural areas. Supermarkets were emptied as people stocked up on essentials amid fears of power outages and supply disruptions.
“My internet connection was down for an extended period of time. If our chats were stuck on Instagram, it could put me in serious danger – the regime would connect random people’s phones to the internet on the street and check their apps. I would have to delete our chats. Good luck on your journey,” a source told the Daily Mail.
