Summary

Iran wants to negotiate and strike a deal to end the Middle East “skirmish”, Donald Trump has said, amid warnings the war could threaten British jobs. The US president also insisted the conflict, currently the subject of a fragile ceasefire, was “going very smoothly” despite the stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz, which has caused a global economic shock, a spike in petrol prices at home and abroad and mounting discontent stateside. In light of “great progress” being made in peace talks, the president paused a short-lived naval mission to reopen the strait to shipping, with around 1,500 vessels stranded. Iran’s effective closure of the vital waterway through which a fifth of the world’s oil normally flows, has driven energy prices up across the world. The White House has been pressing China to use its relationship with Iran to reopen the strait, ahead of a high-profile visit to Beijing by Mr Trump next week. However, a blockade of Iran’s ports remains in force, which the US military said had seen more than 50 cargo ships turned back. It remains a potential flashpoint, highlighted after a US fighter jet shot and disabled the rudder of a tanker as it sought to break through, according to US central command. Speaking at a military mother’s day event at the White House, Mr Trump sought to play down the conflict. He said: “I call it a skirmish, because that’s what it is. “It’s a skirmish, and we’re doing unbelievably well.” He added: “We’re doing very well in Iran. “It’s going very smoothly, and we’ll see what happens. “They want to make a deal, they want to negotiate, and I think that military mothers would want to hear that.” Mr Trump went on: “The blockade is unbelievable. The navy has been incredible, the job they did. “It’s like a wall of steel, nobody goes through. “In particular the Iranians, they’re not getting anything through one way or the other, so they’re out of business. “We’ll see whether or not they are agreeing, and if they don’t agree, they’ll end up agreeing shortly thereafter.” Writing on his Truth Social platform earlier in the day, Mr Trump said: “If they don’t agree, the bombing starts.” Read More Meanwhile, the UK Government has warned over the economic fallout of the US-Israeli war with Iran. Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden told Sky News: “The latest unemployment figures for February showed a fall, interest rates were expected to come down, the markets were pricing in a couple of cuts during the course of the year. “The truth is, with the effect of the Iran war, we can’t count on any of that at the moment. “There is likely to be an effect on prices, which feeds through from energy costs, and there may well be labour market implications.” Asked if this meant job losses, Mr McFadden replied: “Yes. It could happen.”