Donald Trump gloated about destroying Iran’s largest bridge as the White House descended into farce with the latest high-profile sackings.

Hours after the US president threatened to bomb the country “back to the stone ages” if a deal to end the Middle East conflict was not reached he posted footage of part of a newly built 136 metre-high suspension bridge between Tehran and Karaj crumbling amid a rising plume of black smoke.

Eight people were killed and 95 wounded, according to Iran​’s state media, after the middle of the £300m bridge was struck twice. Pictures showed a gap at the heart of what had been one of Iran’s premier infrastructure projects.

Mr Trump, who gave the order to blitz Iran’s energy infrastructure in a joint offensive with Israel on February 28, bragged: “The biggest bridge in Iran comes tumbling down, never to be used again.”

He warned there would be “much more to follow” if a settlement was not reached to end the five-week conflict which has triggered global panic over oil and gas supplies.

Mr Trump has faced ridicule for stating Iran was ready to negotiate an end to the war which had been a success “nearing completion” and the US would “very shortly” achieve nearly all its strategic objectives.

But he also repeated a threat to destroy Iran’s power plants adding: “We are going to hit each and every one of their electric generating plants very hard and probably simultaneously.”

Meanwhile, US Army Chief of Staff Randy George is retiring in the latest of a series of explosive clear outs.

The Pentagon said George “will be retiring from his position as the 41st Chief of Staff of the Army effective immediately”. The decorated war hero has stepped down on the orders of Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.

It follows the sacking of Pam Bondi as attorney general after Mr Trump reportedly grew frustrated over her handling of the Epstein files. His homeland security secretary Kristi Noem was dismissed last month.

The chaos circling the White House comes as Mr Trump mocked Sir Keir Starmer and the strength of the Royal Navy, claiming the prime minister would have to consult his team before deciding whether to send UK aircraft carriers to the Middle East.

During a private Easter speech, footage of which was posted online before being hastily deleted, the president appeared to impersonate Sir Keir in what marks a new low for transatlantic relations.

The president said the UK “should be our best” ally but had not been during the Iran conflict, accusing the Government of equivocating over dispatching aircraft carriers including HMS Prince of Wales.

Sending up Sir Keir, Mr Trump said: “‘Ohhh, I’ll have to ask my team.’

“I said: ‘You’re the prime minister, you don’t have to.’

“‘No, no, no, I have to ask my team. My team has to meet, we’re meeting next week.’”

During his White House speech Mr Trump said: “I asked [the] UK, who should be our best. In fact the king is coming over here in two weeks, he’s a nice guy, King Charles.

“But should be our best but they weren’t our best. I said: ‘You have two, old broken-down aircraft carriers, do you think you could send them over?’

Mr Trump also mocked French president Emmanuel Macron, saying he was “still recovering from the right to the jaw” and claimed his wife, Brigitte, “treats him extremely badly”.