Iran live updates: US blockade of Iran's Strait of Hormuz ports to begin Monday

The White House is responding to reports that Iranian officials have reportedly stopped negotiations with the U.S. ahead of President Donald Trump's 8:00 p.m. deadline, telling ABC News that the "only the president knows where things stand."

"The Iranian regime has until 8 p.m. Eastern Time to meet the moment and make a deal with the United States. Only the President knows where things stand and what he will do," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

President Donald Trump told Fox News on Tuesday that the strikes on Iran that he promised would begin at 8:00 p.m. Tuesday are "happening," but cautioned that things "could change."

Trump's comments come just hours after the president said "a whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again" if a deal was not reached between the U.S. and Iran.

Trump told Fox News that if negotiations were successful then plans for strikes could change, but confirmed that the U.S. was preparing for his deadline.

Russia and China have vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

The resolution, sponsored by Bahrain, had been repeatedly watered down because of opposition from Russia and China.

The vote took place just hours before an 8 p.m. Eastern time deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to open the strategic waterway or face attacks on its power plants and bridges.

One-fifth of the world's oil typically passes through the strait, and Iran's stranglehold during the war has sent energy prices soaring.

President Donald Trump issued a broad threat against Iran on Tuesday morning, as his Tuesday evening deadline for Tehran to fully re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz loomed.

Trump issued a stark threat Tuesday, about 12 hours ahead of his deadline for Iran to agree to a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz or face punishing strikes.

"A whole civilization will die tonight never to be brought back again. I don't want that to happen, but it probably will," Trump wrote on his social media platform.

"However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS?" Trump also wrote.

"We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!" the president said.