AS IT HAPPENED: Donald Trump threatens Iran with 'hell' in expletive-laden post; inside mission to rescue downed US airman; Australian farmers raise fears of food shortages

That's the end of the live coverage of the war in the Middle East for today.

Here's what happened.

The US, Iran and a group of regional mediators are reportedly discussing the merits of a 45-day ceasefire in a bid to end the destruction of critical infrastructure.

US Central Command continues to post images of troops readying munitions for strikes as the US - and the White House - prepares for President Donald Trump's newest 48-hour deadline to expire.

He threatened to unleash "hell" on Iran, with the deadline set to run out at 8pm on Tuesday, US Eastern Time (10am, Wednesday AEST) if it doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Closer to home, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said there were 144 stations without any fuel at all, and 283 petrol stations in Australia without diesel, the majority of which were in NSW.

But he said supplies are on track until May.

An Iranian drone attack damaged a telecommunications building in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates on Monday, the state-run WAM news agency reported.

The attack targeted a building of the state-funded du telecom company.

No one was injured, WAM reported, quoting officials in Fujairah, which is close to Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The death toll has risen from airstrikes in Iran.

Strikes on cities across Iran have killed more than 25 people over Sunday into Monday AP says.

In Israel's Haifa two people were found dead and two others were missing in rubble a day after an Iranian attack.

US President Donald Trump stepped up his threat to hit Iran's critical infrastructure hard if the country's government doesn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz by his Tuesday deadline.

Shots from over the weekend reveal some of the impact of the war in the Middle East.

In the first shot, rescue teams search for missing people amid the rubble of a residential building a day after it was struck by an Iranian missile in Haifa, Israel.

Meanwhile, over the weekend images were taken during a pro-government gathering in a square in Tehran, Iran.

The final two photos show cars passing a plume of smoke rising from the Dahieh neighbourhood after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon.

US President Donald Trump's earlier expletive-ridden Truth Social post has found its mark - most notably with the social media accounts of Iranian embassies around the world.

Iran's embassy in the UK said his outburst was a "sign of weakness and sickness" and invoked Mark Twain by saying "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt".

Iran's embassy in Zimbabwe said it had "lost the keys" - referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

While Iran's embassy in South Africa said Iran will "respond decisively and in a way that will make any aggressor regret it".

Expletive-ridden threats from the US president to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran sent oil and stock market futures spiralling — but not every economic facet is falling.

The price of bitcoin (BTC) is rallying, up 3 per cent since Trump's threats to $US69,140 per coin at the time of publishing.

To some, bitcoin is considered a "safe haven" asset like gold, because it is not tied to any one nation's political leanings or economic development.

Perhaps crypto watchers think BTC will be immune from an increased stranglehold on crude oil and the Strait of Hormuz. Despite this, BTC has been on a long downward trend for months.

But as all investors will tell you, cryptocurrency is far from "safe" and about as reliable as a Truth Social post.

Six children are among those killed in recent strikes on Iran's capital of Tehran, state media reports.

The children, all aged under 10, were inside a residential building when it was hit by the missile strikes overnight.

It is unclear if the strikes were from Israeli or US forces, although Israel has confirmed it was striking targets in Tehran throughout the night.

Search teams are still sifting through the rubble.

From Sunday into Monday across Iran, local media and activists reported strikes on Ahvaz, Bandar Lengeh, Karaj and Shiraz.

The strikes in Bandar Lengeh and Kong killed at least six people and wounded 17 others, the state-run IRAN newspaper said.

Another airstrike in southeastern Tehran hit a home, killing at least three people, Iranian state TV reported.

US Central Command continues to post images of troops readying munitions for strikes as the US - and the White House - prepares for Trump's newest 48-hour deadline to expire.

The US, Iran and a group of regional mediators are reportedly discussing the merits of a 45-day ceasefire in a bid to end the destruction of critical infrastructure in the country.

Reported by US political site Axios, the ceasefire plan has a slim chance of being agreed upon before Trump's deadline expires at 10am Wednesday AEST.

According to the report, the 45-day period would give both sides time to agree upon a solution that would see a permanent end to the war.