The US military said on Wednesday it had launched a fresh round of strikes on Iran to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remained open to maritime traffic. Meanwhile, Kuwait's military said on Thursday that its air defence systems had intercepted "hostile missile and drone attacks".

Second night of strikes comes after Trump says ceasefire ‘over’, suggests talks for lasting peace will continue.

The US-Iran conflict has flared again after attacks on three ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, including Qatari and Saudi Arabian tankers, prompted the United States to launch what it called “powerful strikes” against Iran.

Trump earlier said of the Iranian leadership: "I don't want to deal with them anymore, they're scum. They're sick people, they're led by sick people."

Meeting begins this morning after president threatens to pull American troops out of Europe as he arrived in Ankara yesterday

By Andrew Goudsward WASHINGTON, July 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice has sent letters to all 50 U.S. states warning that election officials could face criminal charges for allowing noncitizens to remain on their lists of eligible voters.