Tehran has started talks with Tokyo about possibly opening the strait, Araqchi told the Japanese news agency in a phone interview on Friday.

The narrow waterway, conduit for around a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, has been effectively closed to most shipping since the United States and Israel launched the war against Iran almost three weeks ago.

Iran launched a new wave of drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia and Israel meanwhile after supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei claimed to have dealt a "dizzying blow" to his country's enemies.

Virtual paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz, has shaken global markets, raising fears of a prolonged spike in energy costs

The US-Israel war with Iran has driven up energy prices

"Exports of war materiel to the USA cannot currently be authorised," the government said in a statement

Since Israel and US started the war with Iran, Israeli authorities have closed access to Jerusalem's world-renowned holy sites citing security concerns

A spokesperson for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and its deputy of public relations, Ali Mohammad Naini, has been killed in strikes launched by the U.S. and Israel, Iranian state TV reported on Friday

Some fertiliser prices are up 30% to 40% on Iran war, Bank of America says

The Daily Star looks into fake war stories thriving on social media

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told his British counterpart Yvette Cooper in a phone call that any US use of British bases would be seen as "participation in aggression" against the Islamic republic

The request was turned down to maintain Sri Lanka's neutrality and ensure its territory was not used for any military purpose that could help or hinder either side, he told parliament

The files revealed an unexpectedly close friendship between the pair and raised questions in Norway about whether Mette-Marit can become queen

Nearly 30 people have been killed in Gulf states since the war broke out

Kim's daughter, known as Ju Ae and believed to be around 13 years old, has been making increasingly frequent public appearances with her father in recent months

Leading European nations, Japan and Canada issued a joint statement on Thursday saying they were ready to join appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz and would take steps to stabilise energy markets

Israeli military says strikes launched on targets in Tehran

The coin is supposed to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.

Traders also welcomed US President Donald Trump's remarks that Israeli forces would not target any more of Tehran's energy infrastructure, after strikes on a key gas field Wednesday sparked warnings of retaliation against installations across the Gulf.

On Thursday, drones struck a Saudi oil refinery on the Red Sea and caused fires at two others in Kuwait, as Iran stepped up attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure.