Iran-US war latest: Iran declares Strait of Hormuz closed and warns any ships transiting through will face ‘harsh measures’

It added that shipping “to and from ports of allies and supporters of the Israeli-American enemies” is prohibited through any corridor or to any destination.

The passage, through which one fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes, has remained largely closed since hostilities broke out.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has urged President Donald Trump to not only continue his attacks on Iran but to intensify them, calling the campaign a “historic” opportunity to remake the Middle East, a Saudi intelligence source confirmed to The New York Times.

Trump told reporters on Tuesday that the prince was “a warrior.”

“He’s fighting with us,” he said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps has urged civilians to leave areas where US forces are stationed on Friday, according to state media.

It follows comments by the Islamic Republic’s foreign minister today telling the United Nations Human Rights Council: “Our defence shall persist as long as needed”.

The forces accused the US and Israel of using civilians as human shields.

British foreign minister Yvette Cooper has condemned what she has called Iran’s “egregious aggression” towards its Gulf neighbours as she warned the Islamic Republic could not “hold the global economy hostage” over its hold over the Strait of Hormuz.

Her comments come ahead of a G7 meeting in Paris on Friday.

She added: “We are deeply concerned about the links between Russia and Iran” as she referred to reports that the countries had been assisting each other.

Saudi Arabia says that it intercepted two drones in Riyadh and its eastern regions.

Israel claims to have struck an Iranian facility used to make missiles and sea mines in Yazd, Iran.

In a post on social media, the IDF says the site was used for the planning, development, assembly, and storage of advanced missiles, submarines, and helicopters.

From India to Africa, farmers are bracing for a fertiliser shock as the Iran war disrupts vital supplies, pushing up costs and threatening harvests just as planting season begins.

Gas prices have shot up and fertiliser supplies are waning due to Tehran’s near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US and Israeli bombing.

The fertiliser shortage is putting the livelihood of farmers in developing countries — already troubled by rising temperatures and erratic weather systems — further at risk, and could lead to people everywhere paying more for food.

Germany’s foreign minister said on Friday that the United States and Iran have had indirect negotiations and that representatives from both sides plan to meet shortly in Pakistan.

“Based on my information there have been indirect contacts, and preparations have been made to meet directly. That would be very soon in Pakistan, apparently,” minister Johann Wadephul told Deutschlandfunk radio.