Turkey’s defence ministry on Friday said a ballistic missile from Iran had been shot down in Turkish airspace by NATO forces in the third such incident of the Middle East war.

The Economic Community of West African States has expressed concern over rising tensions along the borders between Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, urging the countries involved to exercise restraint and resolve their differences through peaceful dialogue.

An American KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq while a second plane involved in the incident landed safely, the US military said Thursday.

Oil prices held gains above $100 Friday and most equity markets dropped after Iran’s leader called for the blocking of the crucial Strait of Hormuz and the opening up of new fronts in the war against the United States and Israel.

UK Defence Minister John Healey suggested on Thursday that Russia was influencing Iran’s use of drone attacks in its war with the United States and Israel.

The US military is currently “not ready” to escort tankers through the critical Strait of Hormuz because all its assets are focused on striking Iran, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Thursday.

US President Donald Trump on Thursday said that stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons was more important to him than controlling oil prices.

“The change to wildlife imagery …  provides an opportunity to celebrate another important aspect of the UK,” it added.

The Mideast war “is creating the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market”, as Iran’s chokehold on regional supplies forces Gulf oil producers to slash production, the International Energy Agency said Thursday.

The opening week of the war against Iran cost the United States more than $11.3 billion, lawmakers were told in a Pentagon briefing, according to a New York Times report underscoring the pace at which the conflict is consuming weapons and resources.

“We don’t want to leave early, do we? We’ve got to finish the job, right?” Trump said while talking about the US-Israeli operation against Iran during a speech in Hebron, Kentucky.

Iran launched a new wave of attacks against Gulf energy targets on Thursday, hours after two oil tankers were hit, sending crude prices soaring again despite record reserve releases.

At least one Nigerian has been identified among dozens of people affected during the interception of Iranian ballistic missiles in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Iran said Wednesday it was ready for a long war of attrition that would “destroy” the world economy, after firing on two commercial ships and threatening any vessels from the US or its allies.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday again signaled there could be a swift ending to the US war on Iran, saying there is little left in the country for US forces to attack.