Iran temporarily shut part of the key Strait of Hormuz as tensions with the US continue to mount. Tuesday’s move is the first time the Middle Eastern waterway has been closed since the 1980s, and came as Iran’s ayatollah issued fresh threats against the United States.

Iran’s exiled crown prince said regime change in his country “would be the best thing that could happen” as he called on President Trump to intervene to “expedite the process.” Reza Pahlavi rattled off a host of things Trump and world leaders could do to kneecap Ayatollah Ali Khameni — including wiping out the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,

Munich, Los Angeles, and Toronto saw the largest crowds, with smaller rallies also taking place in Tel Aviv and Libson.

The U.S. military is reportedly gearing up to strike Iran as early as Saturday, but the decision is ultimately up to President Donald Trump, who remains undecided. News reports of possibly impending military strikes come after Trump authorized the deployment of the USS Gerald R.

It was the first time Iran has announced the closure of the key international waterway, through which 20% of the world's oil passes, since the U.S. began threatening Iran and rushing military assets to the region.

Iran’s leaders want to reach a nuclear deal with the U.S., but they are also rushing to prepare for war in case talks between the countries fail.

The United States may launch a full-throttle attack on Iran as it continues to mobilise big weapons, including warships, jets, and others to surround Tehran.

About 250,000 people demonstrated on Saturday against Iran's government on the sidelines of a gathering of world leaders in Germany, police said, answering a call from Iran ’s exiled Crown Prince

Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz for a few hours on Tuesday, Iranian state media reported, without making clear whether the waterway, one of the world's most vital oil export routes, had fully reopened.