Middle East crisis live: Iran warns it will attack US forces if they enter strait of Hormuz after Trump says US will help ‘guide’ stranded ships

Iranian military says it will ‘respond harshly’ to any threat after Trump warns that interference with US operation in Hormuz will be ‘dealt with forcefully’

• Trump says US navy will ‘guide’ trapped ships from strait of Hormuz amid ‘very positive’ talks with Iran

We have a bit more of the statement from Maj Gen Ali Abdollahi, the commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya central headquarters, who said earlier that the US or any other foreign armed forces would be attacked if they entered the strait of Hormuz (see post at 07.39 for more details). Abdollahi also said:

We will maintain and vigorously manage the security of the strait of Hormuz with all our might, and we inform all commercial ships and tankers to refrain from any attempt to transit without the coordination of the armed forces stationed in the strait of Hormuz, so as not to jeopardise their security.