'1,000 missiles are locked, loaded': Trump's latest threat to Iran could hit fuel prices worldwide

Amid conflict and an uneasy ceasefire, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the US has pre-authorised a strong military response against Iran if there is an assassination attempt on him. He claimed that 1000 missiles are locked, loaded and aimed at the country.

"1000 Missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran, with thousands of more to immediately follow. Should the Iranian Government act on its threat, pronounced in many corners of the Globe, to assassinate, or attempt to assassinate, the sitting President of the United States of America, in this case, me, orders have already been given, and the US Military is ready, willing, and able, for a one year period of time, subject to extension, to completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran- Praise be to Allah."

Throughout the conflict and the uneasy ceasefire that followed, Trump repeatedly used the Arabic word for God in his public remarks while also threatening to destroy Iran's civilisation. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a nationwide advocacy organisation, has previously criticised what it described as Trump's "deranged mocking of Islam."

Against this backdrop, commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continued to remain lower than usual for the third straight night between July 9 and 10, according to the latest data released by ship tracking company Windward. Windward said just six ships travelled through the key waterway over 12 hours. A few days earlier, the normal traffic during the same period ranged between 18 and 22 vessels.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif held separate discussions with the leaders of Iran and Qatar in an effort to revive the stalled US-Iran negotiations. The talks took place on Friday night as diplomatic efforts gathered momentum to restore dialogue between the rival sides following the recent escalation and attacks on each other's targets.

During his conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Sharif expressed "deep concern over the recent escalation in tensions in the region" and stressed the urgent need to "restore regional peace and stability", according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office. He also urged all sides to "exercise restraint and refrain from any action that could jeopardise the hard-earned peace gains achieved over the past few months".