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UK told to “build up” courage and “go get your own oil” by US President Donald Trump
More British troops sent to Middle East to support allied Gulf nations, Defence Secretary John Healey said
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps threatened 18 US tech and defence companies in the Middle East
Tehran and Beirut targeted by US-Israeli airstrikes, as fully loaded Kuwaiti oil tanker attacked by Iran
Israel’s defense minister outlines plans for invasion of Lebanon
Oil prices remain over $110 (about £83) a barrel with US gas past $4 (£3) a gallon for first time since 2022
UN’s refugee agency says more than 200,000 people crossed into Syria from Lebanon in March
Posting on Truth Social, Trump called on the UK to “build up some delayed courage” and “take” the Strait of Hormuz, which has been mostly closed since the conflict began.
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us,” Trump said.
“Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”
Trump’s sentiment was later echoed by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who urged other countries around the world to prepare “to step up” during a press conference at the Pentagon.
Hours later UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced more British troops are being sent to the Middle East to help allied countries defend themselves from Iranian attacks.
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“The discussions with Gulf leaders make it really clear how valued our defensive help is, and we are judged by our actions – not by words,” Healy said from Qatar in response to Trump.
“We continue to work with US on joint defensive operations. Our countries are working side-by-side in this conflict zone.”
It comes as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Tuesday it would attack 18 US companies as early as Wednesday evening if American and Israeli forces continue to target Iranian leadership.
Bystanders look at rising smoke as an Israeli strike a building in Beirut Credit: AP
Israel and the US launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran during the early hours of Tuesday morning, while an Iranian drone hit a Kuwaiti tanker in Dubai waters, authorities said.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz continues to be a central point of the conflict, with the price of oil over $110 (about £83) a barrel on Tuesday and US jumping past an average of $4 (£3) a gallon for the first time since 2022.
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said Syria had seen a “sharp rise” in people crossing the border from Lebanon, with more than 200,000 making the journey between March 2 and March 27.
Trump and Hegseth criticise the UK ahead of the King’s White House visit
Trump told the UK and other allies to “build up some delayed courage” and secure the Strait of Hormuz in a Truth Social post on Tuesday, while suggesting they should not rely on the US for support in the future.
The president wrote: “All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the U.S., we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT.
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the U.S.A. won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!”
This message was then repeated by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during a press conference at the Pentagon, as he told reporters: “There are countries around the world who ought be prepared to step up”.
“It’s not just the United States Navy. Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy that could be prepared to do things like that as well,” Hegseth said.
Referring to Trump’s post singling out the UK for its lack of response, Hegseth said the president had been pointing out “you don’t have much of an alliance” if a country is “not willing to stand with you when you need them”.
Keir Starmer has come under continuous fire from Trump for not joining US forces against Iran, with the PM instead calling for a de-escalation of the war, which is now in its fifth week.
But less than three hours after his post about the UK, the president confirmed King Charles and Queen Camilla would be visiting the White House in April, adding that he expects the trip to be “terrific”.
“Melania and I are pleased to announce that Their Majesties, the King and Queen of the United Kingdom, will visit the United States for a Historic State Visit from April 27-30th, which will include a beautiful Banquet Dinner at the White House on the evening of April 28th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“This momentous occasion will be even more special this year, as we commemorate the 250th Anniversary of our Great Country. I look forward to spending time with the King, whom I greatly respect. It will be TERRIFIC!”
Hegseth joined Trump’s criticism of its allies on Tuesday Credit: AP
Extra UK troops sent to Middle East
More British troops, along with extra UK air defence systems, are being deployed to the Middle East to help with defensive action against Iran, Healey said on Tuesday, estimating around 1,000 personnel are now involved.
Speaking during a trip to the Gulf nations, the defence secretary said he felt “proud” after meeting with British pilots and crews who had flown 1200 hours over the last month “shooting down drones and missiles” during the conflict.
“Gulf leaders are describing us a cornerstone of their defence,” Healey said.
The defence secretary said the UK should be prepared for the war to go on for “some weeks”, noting that the situation with the Strait of Hormuz was being discussed with allies in Europe, the Gulf and beyond.
“There is a determination that Iran cannot hold the strait hostage and blackmail the world in the way that it has been doing,” Healey said.
“That’s not just a discussion with Gulf allies, but also European and wider. The solution cannot just be military, and will have to involve others including the US.”
Extra British troops are being sent to the Middle East to help allied countries defend themselves from Iranian attacks, Healey said Credit: ITV News
Describing Iran’s attacks, Healey said the regime had a “continued capacity to launch missiles and smaller drones” and had begun threatening universities in the region.
“They have expanded their threats to and have attacked steel works and the large aluminum plant in Qatar and continue to direct attacks at oil refineries,” Healey said.
Iran threatens 18 US companies in the Middle East
The IRGC has listed 18 companies it plans to attack as early as Wednesday evening if Israel and the US continue to target Iranian leadership, its semi-official news agency, Tasnim News, reported Tuesday.
Among the firms are Apple, Microsoft, Google, Meta, IBM, Cisco, HP, Intel, Dell, Tesla and Boeing.
Employees of the companies and residents living within one kilometre of the sites were advised to evacuate the area.
“The United States Military is and was prepared to curtail any attacks by Iran, as evidenced by the 90 percent drop in ballistic missile and drone attacks by the terrorist regime,” a White House official told ITV News in response to the threats.
Pictures of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in front of the Iran University of Science and Technology in Tehran Credit: AP
US insists Strait of Hormuz will reopen
Trump reportedly told aides he would be willing to end the war even if the Strait, an essential waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, remains largely closed, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The strait is a narrow waterway off Iran connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, and a fifth of the world’s oil sails through it on a typical day.
However US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later appeared to contradict these claims in an interview with Al Jazeera, saying that the strait would be kept open “one way or another” and that US war objectives could be achieved “in weeks, not months”.
He also insisted that communication between Tehran and Washington is ongoing.
But a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry once again reiterated that no negotiations had taken place, while confirming that intermediaries had delivered a set of proposals to Iran.
Hegseth confirmed talks were ongoing on Tuesday, but declined to tell reporters whether or not the US military will deploy ground troops against Iran.
“We don’t want to have to do more militarily than we have to. But I didn’t mean it flippantly when I said, in the meantime, we’ll negotiate with bombs,” Hegseth said.
Trump told the UK and other countries to “go take your oil”
Israel to launch land invasion into Lebanon
Israeli military will demolish all homes in Lebanon near the border and prohibit the return of 600,000 Lebanese people who fled the area over the last few weeks, the country’s defence minister said on Tuesday.
Israel Katz said the IDF is aiming to create a buffer zone south of the Litani River – 20 miles into Lebanon – with inhabitants of the area not allowed to return until safety and security are “ensured” for northern Israel.
Hezbollah and Israel have exchanged consistent cross-border fire since the latest flare-up that began March 2.
Katz said all homes in the Lebanese villages directly across the border from Israel would be demolished “in order to remove once and for all the threats near the border from residents of the north.”
The defence minister added that Israel would try and “change the situation in Lebanon” with a continuous IDF security presence.
Displaced children from Beirut play cards at a school converted into a shelter in southern Lebanon Credit: AP
Fuel prices remain high worldwide
US gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the world continues to struggle with constraints on oil.
The United Arab Emirates set sharply highly gasoline and diesel fuel prices on Tuesday, with gasoline going up by over 30% and diesel jumping up more than 70%.
Asian countries – which rely heavily on the Middle East for oil – have been hit high by the war’s impact, and on Tuesday Korean Air said it is entering an “emergency management mode” to cope.
The company said cost-cutting measures would be implemented in phases starting in April, as fuel costs are expected to be more than double its previous projections stated in annual business plans.
Indonesia has become the latest country to implement a work-from-home policy for civil servants to save on energy and fuel.
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