The reports of attacks on commercial ships came after the US said it "eliminated" 16 Iranian mine-layers in the area. Elsewhere, two drones were downed near Dubai airport.

The US says the ships were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz - a key shipping route. In Dubai, authorities say the airport is operating normally after two drones were downed in the area.

The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps has responded to Trump's comments that the war in Iran would end soon, saying that they will "determine the end of the war". Tehran will not allow "one litre of oil" ...

Meanwhile the US says its Navy has successfully escorted an oil tanker through the Strait of Hormuz, a shipping route crucial to global energy supplies.