Jeremy Hunt has warned the United States and Iran could end up at war by accident.

Speaking in Brussels on Monday morning, the foreign secretary called for a “period of calm”.

“We are very worried about the risk of a conflict happening by accident with an escalation that is unintended,” Hunt said.

Tensions have risen in the year since Donald Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, restoring American sanctions that have pushed Iran’s economy into crisis.

Last week, Iran warned it would begin enriching uranium at higher levels in 60 days if world powers failed to negotiate new terms for the deal.

Sky News reported Hunt said today: “We don’t end up putting Iran back on the path to renuclearisation.

“If Iran becomes a nuclear power its neighbours are likely to want to become nuclear powers. This is already the most unstable region in the world and this would be a massive step in the wrong direction.”

The US has deployed an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers to the Persian Gulf to counter alleged threats from Tehran.

The United Arab Emirates said today that four commercial ships off its eastern coast “were subjected to sabotage operations”.

Emirati officials declined to elaborate on the nature of the sabotage or say who might have been responsible.

However, the reported incident comes as the US has warned ships that “Iran or its proxies” could be targeting maritime traffic in the region.

John Bolton, the US national security adviser, announced the initial moves on Sunday, citing “troubling and escalatory indications and warnings” but did not explain what they were.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a quick visit on Tuesday to Baghdad to meet with top leaders and underscore Iraq’s need to protect Americans in their country.