Iran's new leader vows to keep Strait of Hormuz closed in first statement

Iran will keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping channel, according to a statement read on state TV attributed to the new supreme leader.

Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since succeeding his father. There is speculation he has been injured or even killed - but what we know is limited, says BBC Persian.

At least three more cargo ships have been attacked in the Gulf, apparently by Iran. Iranian state media say Iranian forces were behind at least one strike.

In Iran, US-Israeli strikes on Tehran have targeted street checkpoints of the Basij - a volunteer militia that has suppressed protests.

Israeli strikes have killed several people in Lebanon, including at least eight in Beirut's seafront area, with one man describing waking up "in a panic" to explosions.

Meanwhile, UK Defence Secretary John Healy says British forces stationed in Erbil, Iraq, shot down two drones overnight.

Mojtaba Khamenei was named as Iran's new supreme leader on 8 March.

He’s the successor to his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war with the US and Iran, on 28 February.

Since his appointment, he has not been spotted on state TV, and his message was read aloud by the presenter.

Mojtaba is the second son of Ali Khamenei and, although he had long been regarded as one of the frontrunners to succeed him, he has kept a low profile and has been seen as exercising influence from behind the scenes.

In addition to his father, Mojtaba Khamenei’s mother and wife were also killed in the US-Israeli strikes.

Iran's state TV news channel has referred to him as a “veteran of the Ramadan war”, without giving any further confirmation as to whether he has been injured.

Reuters has reported that he was “lightly injured”, according to an unnamed Iranian official.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said he’s been discussing the situation in the Strait of Hormuz with military planners and allies.

He said reports had become clearer that Iran “may have been mining” the Strait.

Healey added the UK still had some “autonomous de-mining assets” in the region.

However, the only Royal Navy mine-hunting ship that was stationed in Bahrain, HMS Middleton, recently returned to Portsmouth for planned maintenance.

Healey said that de-mining any waters was “extremely difficult”. He explained the fastest way of re-opening the Strait of Hormuz was through “de-escalation” in the conflict.

Asked whether Royal Navy warships could be involved in escorting tankers in the region, Healey replied that any potential action in the future would have to be done in close co-ordination with allies because it was a shared international concern.

The Royal Navy Destroyer, HMS Dragon, is currently sailing towards Cyprus with the specific mission of defending the island and the UK base there.