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Cruise ship passengers stuck in ports around the Gulf because of Iran's closing of the Strait of Hormuz are said to be panicking as conflict in the Middle East approaches its sixth day. Iran is continuing to carry out retaliatory drone and missile strikes on its neighbours across the region in response to US-Israeli attacks which started on Saturday.

Thousands of cruise ship travellers are believed to be trapped in ports throughout the region amid the escalating hostilities. Reports suggest passengers and crews are unable to leave the huge vessels. Iran has announced the Strait of Hormuz - one of the world's most important waterways where around 20% of global oil and gas passes through - is closed.

A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards official has warned any ships that try to transit the narrow shipping lane will be set "ablaze".

Reports suggest at least half a dozen ships from major companies are said to be at a standstill and waiting for news of when they can depart.

Darren Lee, from Manchester, is currently on a cruise ship in Dubai with his family.

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He told the Daily Mail the ship has been surrounded by "booms", saying: "We'd heard a couple of booms, which we've been told were interceptions of rockets and drones.

"A drone was intercepted right over our heads and there was a really loud boom, which made everyone run inside."

Meanwhile, another traveller told the German newspaper Bild: "Many passengers, including many families with children, are starting to lose their composure."

"Nobody knows how or when we will get out of here," they added, describing an atmosphere of "panic, tears" and "fear of further impacts".

Passengers are understood to be concerned of how long they could be stranded and reportedly how the cruise ships will cope without food and water.

It comes as the Government prepares to rescue more stranded Britons from the Middle East on charter flights.

Sir Keir Starmer said two further Government-chartered flights will take off from Oman "in the coming days".

The first of those extra evacuation flights is expected to leave Oman on Thursday. Since the fighting erupted on Saturday, more than 130,000 British nationals have registered their presence in the Middle East with the Government.

Airlines are gradually increasing flights out of the region. Sir Keir told MPs earlier that more than 1,000 British nationals arrived back in the UK on commercial flights from the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday.