We are ending our live coverage of the ongoing war in the Middle East.

Thank you for reading our rolling coverage today. We will be back tomorrow to bring you more updates.

The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan have condemned recent attacks by Iran on unarmed commercial vessels in the Gulf.

In a joint statement, the leaders said "we call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait".

"The effects of Iran’s actions will be felt by people in all parts of the world, especially the most vulnerable," the statement added.

A spokesman for the unified command of Iran's armed forces said it has entered "a new stage in the war".

Recent strikes on energy infrastructure led Iran to target energy facilities linked to the US and American investors in the region, the spokesman said.

"If strikes [on Iran's energy infrastructure] happen again, further attacks on your energy infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until it is completely destroyed, and our response will be much more severe," Ebrahim Zolfaqari said according to state media.

Reporting with Reuters

China says it is shocked at reports that Israel authorized the killing of senior Iranian and Hezbollah figures without case-by-case approval, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday in Beijing.

“We have been opposed to the use of force in international relations, and the killing of Iran’s national leaders and attacks on civilian targets are even more unacceptable,” spokesperson Lin Jian said.

China urges all parties involved to immediately cease military operations and prevent the regional conflict from spiraling out of control, he said.

Israel's attack on Iran's South Pars gas facilities on Wednesday was coordinated with the United States but will likely not be repeated, three Israeli officials said.

US President Donald Trump had earlier said that Washington "knew nothing about this particular attack", which has drawn widespread Iranian attacks on energy installations in the Gulf.

Reporting with Reuters

United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres on Thursday urged the United States and Israel to stop the war and called on Iran to stop attacking its neighbours.

"It is high time to end this war that is risking to get completely out of control," Guterres told reporters in Brussels after he met with European Union leaders.

He also called for the end to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which threatens the world economy.

Reporting with Reuters

Before the press conference at the Pentagon finished, Hegseth was asked about the costs of the war efforts, and if he had requested more funding.

The US secretary of defense confirmed the Pentagon has asked Congress for more money to help the war efforts in Iran.

An anonymous source told Associated Press the figure requested is $US200 billion ($285 billion) in additional funds.

He said the amount "could move, obviously" adding that it is important his department is "properly funded".

"It takes money to kill bad guys," he said.

US General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says American forces struck more than 90 targets on Kharg Island, which is vital to Iran’s oil network.

Caine said the US targets included all of the island’s military-only infrastructure, such as air defenses, a naval base and mine storage facilities.

Trump said a few days ago that the US military had “totally obliterated” the island’s military assets. 

He has warned that if Iran or anyone else interferes with ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, he will reconsider his decision not to target oil infrastructure.

Reporting with AP

Despite saying earlier that the US is "winning" the war in Iran, Pete Hegseth refused to give a time frame for its end.

"We wouldn't want to set a definitive time frame," Hegseth told reporters.

He added that "we're very much on track" and that Trump will be the one to decide when to stop.

"It will be at the president's choosing, ultimately, where we say, 'Hey, we've achieved what we need to,'" he said.

The US secretary of defense did confirm that the Pentagon has asked Congress for more money to help the war efforts in Iran.

The US Secretary of Defense said Iranian officials promoted into senior leadership positions are taking up "temp jobs".

Pete Hegseth asked the room of reporters "what's the last job anyone wants in the world right now?"

He answers the question: "Senior leader for the IRGC or Basij — temp jobs, all of them".

He then says the US is "sharing the ocean with Iran".

"We've given them the bottom half," he says.