Donald Trump's declared final deadline for Iran to re-open the Strait of Hormuz is just hours away - so what's going to happen if neither side blinks?
Trump said yesterday his 8pm Tuesday ET (10am Wednesday AEST) deadline for the closure to end was his final extension, after having pushed back previous threatened limits.
"The entire country can be taken out in one night, and that night might be tomorrow night," Trump said in a news conference.
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He said the US had a plan in place to target critical Iranian infrastructure nationwide.
"We have a plan, because of the power of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by 12 o'clock tomorrow night," he said.
Power plants in the country, he said, would be "burning, exploding and never to be used again".
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He refused to say whether civilian targets were off limits, and dismissed concerns such military action might constitute war crimes or breach international law.
However, Trump also said he didn't want to unleash the threatened bombing campaign.
"We may even get involved with helping them rebuild their nation," he said.
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"And you know what, if that's the case, the last thing we want to do is start with power plants, which are among the most expensive things, and bridges."
Iran, for its part, has rejected a 45-day ceasefire proposal and continues to hold a tight grip over the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
"We only accept an end of the war with guarantees that we won't be attacked again," Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour, head of Iran's diplomatic mission in Cairo, told The Associated Press.
However, indirect negotiations are continuing between the US and Iran via Pakistani officials, with Trump acknowledging that in his briefing.
Trump has previously delayed or called off threatened ultimatums while citing improvements in discussions with adversaries, raising the possibility it may happen again.
While the war remains increasingly unpopular at home, one expert says Trump may be less concerned about its effect on domestic politics, which are more likely to be influenced by economics.
"His focus today is likely more on his legacy than the results of the next two US elections," senior fellow Lester Munson wrote for the United States Studies Centre.
"The bet here is that he would happily trade some domestic political turmoil for a win in Iran and a vastly more positive position for himself in US and world history."
If so, Trump could well be determined to press ahead with further military action, though the ultimate goal is unclear.
The US president has gone back and forth on whether he seeks - or has achieved - regime change after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whether the US has an interest in re-opening the Strait of Hormuz, or whether he seeks to liberate the Iranian people.
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