- US president Donald Trump has claimed the conflict with Iran is "close to over" and believes Tehran is eager to negotiate a deal.
- Trump claimed in a Fox Business interview that Iran would take 20 years to rebuild if the US withdrew its presence while he hinted at potential renewed peace talks within two days.
- It comes as US Central Command announced Trump's fleet has achieved "maritime superiority in the Middle East" with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz reportedly halting 90 per cent of Iran's sea-based economic trade within 36 hours.
- Meanwhile, China has refuted claims it provided military support to Iran after a Financial Times report suggested Iran secretly acquired a Chinese spy satellite to target US military bases across the Middle East.
- Elsewhere Trump has hit out at Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni, one of his closest European allies, saying she was "very different from what I thought" after she refused to support him in the war.
IN FULL