Middle East live: Trump says he has no regrets about launching Iran war

South Korean and Iranian foreign ministers discuss Strait of Hormuz, Seoul says

South ​Korean ​Foreign Minister Cho Hyun had ​a ‌telephone ⁠call ‌with his Iranian ⁠counterpart Abbas Araghchi and ‌discussed the situation ‌in ​the Middle East, including freedom of ​navigation ​through the ​Strait ​of Hormuz, Seoul’s foreign ministry said.

Trump declines Saudi crown prince’s call for US strikes on Houthis, Axios reports

Saudi ​Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman called US President Donald Trump twice ​on Thursday and urged him to launch strikes against the Houthis, Axios reported, citing two US officials.

Trump rejected the request, and US ​officials ‌said the administration does not intend to ⁠take direct military action against the Houthis at this time, the report said.

According to Axios, ​Washington is increasingly concerned about the rapidly ‌escalating conflict in Yemen and is stepping up support for Saudi Arabia while seeking to avoid direct military involvement.

Admiral Brad Cooper, commander ‌of the US Central Command, travelled to Saudi Arabia on Thursday for urgent ​coordination talks, according to the report.

US military and civilian officials have also told their Saudi counterparts in recent weeks that Trump’s ​directive is to keep American forces focused on Iran and ​safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz, while avoiding ​the opening of another military front, Axios added.

Iran and Gulf states to meet in push for Hormuz deal, FT reports

Gulf ⁠foreign ministers ​plan to ​meet their Iranian counterpart in a push by ​Oman ‌and ⁠Iran to secure buy-in ‌for a temporary deal ⁠to manage shipping through the Strait ​of Hormuz, the ‌Financial Times reported.

The gathering ‌is scheduled to ​be held on Monday in the Omani coastal ​city of Salalah, ​the report ​said, citing two ​people briefed on the matter.

Hormuz shipping traffic falls to single digits, data shows

Vessel ​transits at the Strait ​of Hormuz fell to seven on ​Thursday ‌from ⁠11 the previous day, ‌preliminary shiptracking data ⁠showed on Friday, well below the ​10-day average of ‌15.

Of the seven, two vessels ‌exited and five ​entered, according to the data.

The figures exclude any ​vessels that ​might have ​crossed the strait with ​their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to avoid ⁠detection.

Before the US-Israeli war on Iran started on February 28, the strait typically handled about 125 ​large, commercial vessels per day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers and container vessels, accounting for some 20 percent of the world’s daily ​crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

Trump says he does not regret Iran war despite impact it may have on midterm elections

US President Donald Trump said ​he did not regret going to war against Iran despite the impact ​the conflict may have on the November US midterm elections.

«I don’t believe in the word ‘regret’. You can always question yourself a little bit,» Trump said ​in ‌an interview with Fox News host Laura Ingraham when ⁠asked if he regretted the Iran war due to the impact it may have on ‌the elections.

«If I had it do again, I would do ⁠exactly as I did,» Trump said in the interview broadcast on Thursday on «The Ingraham Angle» show.

Trump dismissed suggestions that some of ​his supporters were upset and demoralised about the war.