US President Donald Trump says Iran is in serious financial trouble and "desperately" needs to enter negotiations, despite advice from other nations.
"Iran is in serious financial trouble," Mr Trump tweeted on Thursday.
"They want desperately to talk to the US but are given mixed signals from all of those purporting to represent us, including President Macron of France.
"I know Emmanuel means well, as do all the others, but nobody speaks for the United States but the United States itself. No one is authorised in any way, shape, or form to represent us."
Britain announced on Monday that it would be joining the US in a maritime security coalition in the Arabian Gulf, weeks after a British-flagged tanker was seized by Iran, and Washington is in talks with more than 60 countries to join the mission.
The US is also warning ships of GPS interference.
A US official with the Central Command confirmed to The National that vessels in the area have "reported GPS interference, bridge-to-bridge communications spoofing and other communications jamming with little to no warning".
The Iranian Defence Minister, Amir Hatami, on Thursday repeated warnings that US efforts to form a maritime security coalition would be counterproductive.
"The maritime coalition that US is trying to form will create more instability and insecurity," Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Mr Hatami as saying.
The targeting of ships near the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world's oil supplies passes, comes amid increasing tension between Iran and the US over sanctions imposed by Washington that seek to cut off Tehran's vital oil exports.
