British Prime Minister Theresa May will meet Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday to discuss the need for de-escalation in the Gulf after tensions rose because of a U.S.-Iran dispute over the country's nuclear deal, May's spokeswoman said.

Iran's foreign minister said on Twitter on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump's view that a conflict with Iran would be a "short war" was an illusion and that his threat of "obliteration" amounted to threatening "genocide".

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he was "fine" if there was no new agreement with Iran, adding that he had "unlimited time" to try and reach a deal with Tehran.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in an interview with local media in India on Wednesday that the United States had done everything it could to de-escalate tensions with Iran.

Iran will speed up enrichment of uranium after a deadline given to European countries to prevent this ends on Thursday, the spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said on Wednesday, according to the IRIB news agency.

Iran said Tuesday new US sanctions against its leaders marked the end of diplomacy with Washington, after President Donald Trump threatened the country with "obliteration".

Iran has no reason left to carry out commitments under its 2015 nuclear deal without reciprocation from the remaining European signatories, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Tuesday, according to the Fars news agency.

Acting U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Jonathan Cohen told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that Washington's policy on Iran "remains an economic and diplomatic effort to bring Iran back to the negotiating table."

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held discussions on Monday with Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on ensuring stability in energy markets and freedom of navigation, Saudi Arabia's ambassador designate to Washington said.

Iran said on Sunday it would not back down from its decision to scale back some of its commitments under 2015 nuclear deal with major powers, state TV quoted Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi as saying.

Some of the world's leading carriers including British Airways, Qantas and Singapore Airlines on Friday suspended flights over the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran-US tensions flare over the downing of a drone.

The United States envoy on Iran, Brian Hook, said on Friday it was "important we do everything" to de-escalate tensions with Iran.

Iran refrained from shooting down a U.S. plane with 35 people on board that was accompanying the downed drone in the Gulf, a Revolutionary Guards commander said on Friday.

An adviser to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday if U.S. President Donald Trump does not want war with Tehran, he should ease sanctions, as tensions rise between the countries following the downing of a U.S. drone by Iran.

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on Friday to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about Middle East stability and the oil market, the White House said, after tensions with Iran prompted a rise in oil prices.

U.S. House of Representatives' Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday she was glad that President Donald Trump called off planned military strikes on Iranian targets, saying the collateral damage would have been "very provocative."

President Donald Trump said on Friday he is not looking for war with Iran, but he warned that if a conflict did occur it would result in "obliteration."

White House special envoy Jason Greenblatt lamented the Palestinian Authority's decision to boycott next week's economic summit - dubbed a "workshop" - in Bahrain.

The Pentagon on Thursday released an image it said showed the flight path for the drone that was shot down by Iran, but did not immediately provide a detailed explanation of the image.

U.S. House of Representatives' Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called for the United States to de-escalate tensions with Iran, after top lawmakers attended a White House briefing on the downing of an American drone by Tehran.