Iran warns of 'faster, heavier, more painful response' to US attacks

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has issued his own threats back at Iran, writing on social media on Saturday, "It's simple: if Iran shoots at US ships, we will destroy (and sink) their oil tankers."A 60-day ceasefire between the US and Iran formally expired last month, and that period of relative calm was shattered when the US resumed attacks last Sunday. Fighting has continued throughout the week, with the US launching multiple strikes on Iranian targets and Iran retaliating against US targets in the region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.US President Donald Trump said this week that the renewed fighting would not last "too long", echoing comments both he and his administration have frequently made since the now six-month-long war began in February. Months of negotiations between the US and Iran have not amounted to lasting peace, and there's little sign of a further diplomatic settlement on the horizon.The Strait of Hormuz, which is crucial to the world's oil and gas industry, has been effectively closed since the war began, and has become a major source of leverage for Iran.Tehran has insisted it will not give up some measure of control over the waterway.But Trump has declared that the strait is "open" and the US military has been helping ships navigate the southern route.