Iranian officials called on students, athletes, artists and university staff to gather at power plants today and form human chains to shield the sites from possible strikes.
The appeal came hours before US President Donald Trump’s latest deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump has warned that failure to comply will lead to attacks on Iranian infrastructure, including power plants and bridges.
He set the cutoff at 8pm Eastern Time.
Alireza Rahimi, secretary of Iran’s Supreme Council of Youth and Adolescents, made the call in a video statement broadcast on state television.
He described the power plants as national assets that belong to the country’s future and its young people.
Officials asked volunteers to assemble at 2pm local time.
The move follows recent strikes on Iranian targets.
The United States hit military sites on Kharg Island, a key oil export hub.
Israel carried out an attack on a railway bridge in central Iran that killed two people, according to local reports.
Airstrikes also struck areas around Tehran.
Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed or restricted during the current tensions.
The waterway carries about a fifth of the world’s oil trade in normal times, and its closure has pushed up global energy prices.
Trump has repeated his demands in strong terms.
In one social media post he said Tuesday would bring attacks on power plants and bridges, and urged Iran to “open the Strait” or face consequences.
He has extended earlier deadlines several times while keeping pressure on Tehran.
Iranian leaders rejected a proposed ceasefire and said they would not bow to ultimatums.
The country’s president claimed that 14 million people, including himself, had volunteered to defend the nation.
Critics inside and outside Iran questioned the human chain plan.
Many said it placed ordinary citizens in danger rather than offering real protection against modern weapons.
Others wondered whether government officials would send their own families to take part.
The situation remains tense as the deadline nears.
Both sides continue to trade threats while the flow of oil through the strait stays disrupted.
No immediate reports emerged of large crowds forming at the plants, but state media urged people to join for what it called a stand for the nation’s future.
Further developments could come quickly once the clock passes 8pm Eastern Time.
