Iran-US war latest: Over 770 US service members killed or injured since conflict began, new data shows

Iran is considering launching attacks on US military targets in Europe if President Donald Trump escalates the conflict, according to a report.

Sources close to Iran’s government told the Financial Times that potential targets included a British air base in Cyprus that was targeted by a drone in March.

Other countries in southeastern Europe such as Bulgaria, which approved US access to its Bezmer air base for refuelling last month, were also weighed up as a potential target for strikes.

It follows warnings that Tehran is considering switching to a “fully offensive” strategy, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Monday.

Holidaymakers may again be feeling a sense of uncertainty over travel to the Middle East after another wave of strikes in the region.

Despite the escalations, the UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) has not changed its new advice for travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), published on 18 June, which removed the “all but essential travel” advisory.

The country, popular among tourists for its ultra-modern cities such as Dubai and Abu Dhabi, was subject to travel advisories for months following the outbreak of war between Iran and the US.

Ship tracking data by Kpler reveals that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz had nearly tripled before a 60-day ceasefire agreement expired.

Around 374 million barrels transited through the Gulf amounting to around 6.1 million barrels per day, according to a briefing published on Wednesday.

Before the MoU was signed this was around 2.3 million barrels. But despite the halting progress through the agreement period, numbers have not reached the heights of 15 million barrels a day prior to the conflict.

Imagine, just before first light, a re-flagged shadow fleet cargo ship sailing up the North Sea launches a dozen Shahed drones against London. As the UK has no air defence radar looking in this direction, the first notification of this strike comes from Dutch radar.

Jebel Ali, built in 1977, has made the UAE a hub of finance and trade, but weeks ago it was set alight by a piece of fallen debris from an Iranian missile. Since then, Dubai International Airport, US military bases and other facilities have come under direct attack.

The UAE has been the hardest hit of all the Gulf countries with the FT reporting that almost 3,000 drones and missiles have hit it since US-Israeli attacks began on Iran on 28 February.

In another rant on Truth Social on Wednesday, he wrote: “ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.

“This will be an ECONOMIC D-DAY, and we need all of our Allies to stand with the United States of America to isolate, and defeat, the Iran threat.”

Tehran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that the threats would only bring Trump “further defeat” as he struggles to find an exit strategy from an unpopular war.

US treasury secretary Scott ​Bessent said on Thursday that he would hold a press conference on Monday “to talk about exactly what we’re going to do” on Iran.

Donald ⁠Trump on Wednesday warned of economic consequences against any country that provided “any type of lifeline to Iran” as the United States looks to resolve a war it began alongside Israel nearly six ⁠months ago.

“I think oil markets ​are ⁠misinterpreting what this economic pressure means,” Bessent told CNBC.

Oil prices climbed to more than three-week highs ⁠on Thursday,

“We have asymmetric information, and I’m not sure ​why ⁠oil has popped up on ‌this,” Bessent said.

“If we are doing the maximum economic pressure, then that means that likely there will not be a ‌large-scale kinetic restart.”

When asked if the ‌United States could target China for doing business with Iran, Bessent said many conversations were best to have in private.

“We are confident that ⁠everyone wants the Strait (of Hormuz) reopened, and for energy prices to come back down,” he said.

“Keep in mind that the Chinese get 50 per cent (of their) energy from inside from the Gulf. So it would do them a big service to get with the program.”

In a social media message ‌on Wednesday, Trump promised “Economic Warfare and Isolation on ​an unprecedented scale,” although details were scant.

“The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect,” he continued on the platform. “The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated.”