Iran-US war live: 10,000 more US troops could be sent despite Trump promise of peace talks – Breaking News, Latest Updates

British prime 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.

Donald Trump has launched a fresh tirade against the UK for its stance on his war against Iran, saying Sir Keir Starmer made “a big mistake” and denigrating UK warships as “toys”.

The US president denied that the transatlantic tensions would affect the King’s planned visit to the US.

Mr Trump said he was “very disappointed” by the Prime Minister’s “shocking” refusal to allow US forces to use RAF bases in the initial wave of attacks against Iran.

Kuwait this morning said its Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait City came under attack and sustained “material damage”.

It said no one was hurt in the attack but offered no other details.

Meanwhile, Bahrain sounded its missile alert siren over an incoming Iranian attack. Qatar, which had not seen a major attack in days, also sounded its alerts this morning.

The United Arab Emirates has ⁠told Washington and other western allies ⁠that ​it ⁠would participate ⁠in a multinational ​maritime ⁠task force ‌intended to reopen the Strait ‌of Hormuz, ‌the Financial Times ⁠reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

India has slashed excise duties on petrol and diesel to protect consumers and rein in a potential spike in inflation, while imposing windfall taxes on aviation fuel and ⁠diesel exports, amid volatile global oil markets as a result of the Iran war.

Economists said the tax cuts will hit government finances. Global oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel after the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as a conduit for 40 per cent of India’s crude oil imports, since the US and Israel first struck Iran on 28 February.

India’s finance ministry reduced the special excise ​duty ⁠on petrol to Rs3 ($0.0318) per litre from Rs13 earlier. It also cut the duty on diesel to zero from Rs10 per litre.

The government did not say how much the ⁠duty cuts would cost. The move comes ahead of elections next month in four Indian states and one federal ​territory ⁠with Indian voters known to be extremely sensitive to ‌higher prices.