Middle East crisis live: oil prices climb after Trump defends Iran war in address to the nation

Key Points:

• Donald Trump defended the US war in Iran in his first national address since the conflict began, claiming Iran has been "decimated" and promising to hit Iran "extremely hard" for another two to three weeks while urging countries reliant on oil through the Strait of Hormuz to secure the passage themselves.
• The war has triggered a spike in global oil prices, with Brent crude rising over 6% to $107.63 a barrel, and caused stock market declines across Asia-Pacific; it has also exacerbated economic pressures in the UK, including a surge in mortgage costs.
• Iran vowed to continue the conflict with "more crushing, broader and more destructive" attacks, while the US embassy in Iraq warned of imminent attacks by Iran-aligned militias, urging Americans to leave Iraq immediately.
• Nearly 36 countries are set to meet to discuss diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil shipping route blocked due to the conflict; notably, the US is not participating in this meeting, with Trump stating securing the waterway is not America's responsibility.
• Critics, including Democrats and former US officials, condemned Trump's speech as incoherent and lacking clear objectives, particularly questioning his disregard for Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, a key justification for the war, and expressing concern about the human and financial costs of the conflict.