US President Donald Trump said the United States would hit Iran “very hard tonight” and reiterated his desire to eventually take control of Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub. His remarks came as US and Iranian forces exchanged attacks for a second straight day,

The president announced the blockade on Iran will remain in place until a deal is finalized.

Netanyahu's attacks on Iran and Lebanon against Trump's orders is the latest episode to lay bare the growing tension between the two leaders.

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed an attack on Israel on Monday and said Israel-affiliated vessels would again be a target in the Red Sea, putting the waterway, as well as the Gulf of Aden and the narrow Bab el-Mandeb Strait connecting them, in danger.

If President Trump forces Israel to stand down against Iran, analysts say, it could leave Israel hindered from responding forcefully to attacks by Hezbollah.

BEIRUT (AP) — President Donald Trump in an interview released Wednesday confirmed an earlier report that he criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “crazy” in a Monday phone call, saying he was “a little bit perturbed” that Israel’s fighting of Hezbollah in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran.

Iran had announced they would suspend negotiations over Israel's campaign against Lebanon.

Iran has launched a fleet of drones toward Tel Aviv following Israel’s strikes against Iran’s military and nuclear sites. People across Israel are being warned to seek shelter as Iran’s supreme leader vows “severe punishment.