Donald Trump has warned Iran it will be “blown off the face of the earth” if it attacks US vessels trying to reopen a route for shipping through the strait of Hormuz.
It follows a day of escalating tension in which US and Iran have each launched attacks that threaten a return to full-scale war in the Middle East.
The US president launched an operation to break Iran’s control of the strait of Hormuz, the key shipping lane where hundreds of commercial vessels are trapped. The closure of the strait has led to a surge in global energy prices because around a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas normally passes through the sea lane.
Iran responded by firing warning shots at US warships and launching drone and missile attacks the United Arab Emirates, causing a large fire at the UAE’s biggest port. US Central Command denies a claim in Iranian state media that Iranian missiles hit a US destroyer.
The US said it had attacked seven Iranian "fast boats" and, US Central Command said two US-flagged merchant vessels had “successfully transited through the Strait of Hormuz”. Iran called the claims "downright lies".
Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Joe Inwood, Sarah Smith and Jeremy Bowen.
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