President Donald Trump has warned that "a whole civilization will die" if Iran does not accept his terms to end the war in the Middle East. All three main U.S. stock indexes gapped into the red at the opening bell on Tuesday, but trended higher before closing mixed as a now-familiar rhythm of "oil up, stocks down" appears to be reaching a crescendo.
According to The New York Times, Iran told Pakistan it will no longer negotiate a ceasefire directly with the U.S. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reports the Islamic Revolutionary Guard "is threatening escalating attacks on Middle East oil-and-gas infrastructure" ahead of the president's 8 pm Eastern Standard Time deadline. Trump has threatened to bomb Iran's electric power and transportation infrastructure if there's no deal.
