Trump refuses to call Iran conflict a 'war' as ten US service members injured after missile hits Saudi air base
The news came as Donald Trump gave a speech in Miami where he said Iran has to "open up the Strait of Trump"
Ten US service members have reportedly been injured in an attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia.
Listen to this article
Two of the personnel are said to be "very seriously injured" following the attack at the Prince Sultan Air Base, caused by Iranian drones, according to CBS.
The other eight are reported to be "seriously injured" - a different category of injury under the military's classification system.
The strike is said to have also damaged several US refuelling aircrafts, according to American and Saudi officials on the ground.
Some 13 American service members have been killed in action as part of the US war with Iran which started last month, with a further 300 wounded.
Speaking at an address in Miami on Friday evening, Trump refused to call the conflict a war for "legal reasons".
Read more: Trump gives Iran until April 6 to open Strait of Hormuz and insists peace talks going 'very well'
A US Central Command spokesperson confirmed the figures on Friday and said most of the wounded have returned to action.
President Trump has reportedly been pushing for peace talks to get off the ground this week, and has claimed Iran was negotiating with the US by sending oil out of the Strait of Hormuz.
The shipping route, one of the world's busiest, has been a major point of contention in finding a resolution.
The closure has rocketed the price of oil and gas, and prompted UK inflation to flatline at three per cent last month.
Speaking at the Future Investment Initiative, Trump said: "They were negotiating, which they admitted two days later, and in order to make up for their misstatement, they said we're going to send you eight ships of oil.
“I saw in one of the networks, very strange, there were eight ships of oil coming out of Iran, and then they actually said, we're going to add an extra two. And they added an extra two, so we had 10 ships.
He also added that Iran is "on the run" and added: "For 47 years, Iran has been known as the bully of the Middle East, but they are not the bully any longer."
He also appeared to call it the "Strait of Trump" which was greeted by laughter in the crowd.
Trump said: "We're negotiating now, and be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up.
"They have to open up the Strait of Trump. I mean, Hormuz."
He joked: "Excuse me, I'm so sorry, such a terrible mistake.
"The fake news will say he accidentally said there's no accidents with me, not too many.
"If there were, we'd have a major story."
He also refused to call the conflict a war, telling the address: "Of course, they call it a war. I call it a military conflict, but there's a legal reason for that.
"But you get into a war or a military operation or conflict for you."
It comes hours after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington's aims can be achieved "without troops on the ground," telling reporters the war could end sooner rather than later.
"We have objectives and we are very confident we are on the verge of achieving them," he said.
"We can achieve all of our objectives without our ground troops," Rubio continued.
"But we are always going to be prepared to give the president maximum optionality and maximum opportunity to adjust to contingencies, should they emerge."
It comes on the same evening Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi hit out after Israel reportedly attacked two of the country’s largest steel factories and nuclear sites.“
Writing on social media, Araghchi said: "Israel has hit 2 of Iran’s largest steel factories, a power plant, and civilian nuclear sites, among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the US."
Tehran has rejected suggestions from the US that peace talks are ongoing.
Speaking about the Iran war at an event in Miami earlier on Friday, Steve Witkoff said: "We think there will be meetings this week. We're certainly hopeful for it."
His comments come just hours after Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he believes the US could escalate its war in the coming days.
"I have reasons to believe, also based on information we’ve received from our allies, that stabilisation is unlikely in the coming days,” he said.
"On the contrary, a new escalation may occur."