The US and Iran have escalated their conflict, with President Donald Trump warning Tehran that the US will 'completely decimate and destroy all areas' of the country if it makes any move to take him out.
Trump made the comments after the funeral of Iran's late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei saw open calls for his death. Mourners held posters and banners calling for him to be killed, along with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump responded on his social media platform, stating that '1,000 missiles are locked and loaded' with 'thousands more to immediately follow' if Iran acts on its 'threat' to 'assassinate or attempt to assassinate' him.
The president claimed that orders have already been given, and the US military is ready, willing, and able to carry out a year-long campaign to 'completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran', subject to extension.
Trump's comments come as tensions between the US and Iran remain high, with officials blaming a power struggle in Tehran for the latest strikes against vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for global oil and gas supplies.
The US has demanded that Iran publicly state the Strait of Hormuz is open and that ships using the waterway will not be attacked. However, Tehran's top diplomat at the United Nations insisted that any activity in the Gulf channel 'rests exclusively with Iran'.
The ongoing conflict has caused severe disruption to maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, casting doubt on securing a permanent end to the conflict, launched by the US and Israel on February 28.
Mediators are engaged in frantic diplomatic efforts to try and salvage the tattered peace process, while Israel has said it stands ready to confront Iran again if needed.
The US Treasury has also acted to crack down on a key financier to the Tehran regime, Dubai-based banker and businessman Ali Ansari, who was previously sanctioned by Britain for his role in financially supporting the activities of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The conflict has raised concerns about the stability of the region and the potential for further escalation, with shipping using the channel plummeting following the recent fighting.
The US and Iran have been engaged in a cycle of violence and counter-violence, with the US pulling Tehran's licence to sell oil and reimposing its blockade of Iranian ports.
The crisis is a major test of the Biden administration's ability to navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries in the Middle East, as well as its willingness to use military force to protect American interests.
