Burke confirms IS brides have Australian passports as government issues one temporary exclusion order; US military build-up fuels speculation Trump is headed for war with Iran

The United States is continuing to surge military assets to Eastern Europe and the Middle East, fuelling speculation that President Donald Trump is headed for war with Iran despite both sides noting progress in recent talks.

Meanwhile, Trump again warned British Prime Minister Keir Starmer not to cede control of the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia to Mauritius, saying the US may need to use the island and its air base to defend against Iranian attacks in the event the Islamic Republic decides not to make a deal.

The developments came as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there were “many reasons” for a strike against Iran, though the president’s first preference was always diplomacy.

Flight tracking data indicated dozens of military aircraft, including refuelling tankers, left the continental US heading east, or moved across Europe, overnight into Wednesday (Washington time), adding to the growing military build-up in the region.

Read the full story from our North America correspondent Michael Koziol.