Protests over an amateur film mocking the Prophet Mohammed spread across the Muslim world yesterday as Egypt’s president tried to calm tensions with Washington as attacks continued on US diplomatic missions in the Middle East.

As the US investigates the assault on the Benghazi consulate that led to the death of the ambassador to Libya, Christopher Stevens, and three other staff members on Tuesday, demonstrators attempted to storm the fortified US embassy compound in the Yemeni capital Sana’a, breaking through the main gate. Embassy guards initially fired in the air and security forces used teargas and water cannon to push out the protesters, witnesses told Reuters news agency.

Mansour Hadi, the Yemeni president, apologised to the US and said the incident would be investigated.