Canberra | Washington | Iran has vowed to hit back hard against Donald Trump’s air raids on the regime’s nuclear program and launched a fresh wave of missiles against Israeli cities, as the US president promised more attacks if American interests in the Middle East were targeted.

In the most consequential decision of his presidency, Trump defied the advice of allies, including Australia who had advocated for diplomacy, leaving the Middle East at risk of spiralling into further conflict, destabilising global markets and piling pressure on oil prices.