Israel and Iran exchanged further attacks on Saturday as the conflict in the Middle East entered its second week. Iran’s president sought to ease tensions with neighbouring Gulf states by apologising for the impact of Iranian strikes, though the move sparked criticism from hardliners at home.
“I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran’s actions,” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said, urging regional states not to join U.S. and Israeli military operations against Iran.
Pezeshkian also dismissed U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for the Islamic Republic’s “unconditional surrender” as unrealistic. However, he said Iran’s temporary leadership council had agreed to suspend attacks on nearby countries unless assaults on Iran were launched from their territory.
Despite the remarks, Trump characterised the apology as a sign of surrender. He warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” on Saturday and suggested the United States could broaden its military campaign.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed the hardline stance, vowing to continue the war against Iran. He said Israel had a “systematic plan to eradicate the Iranian regime”.
Pezeshkian’s comments quickly triggered a political backlash inside Iran. His office later emphasised that the country’s military would respond forcefully to any attacks originating from U.S. bases in the region.
Hours later, the president repeated his statement on social media but omitted the apology that had angered conservative factions, including members of the powerful Revolutionary Guards.
Hardline cleric and lawmaker Hamid Rasai criticised the remarks in a post on X, writing: “Mr Pezeshkian, your stance was unprofessional, weak and unacceptable.”
A former Revolutionary Guards commander also denounced the idea of apologising in a separate statement posted on social media.
Judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, a hardline member of the three-man council temporarily exercising the powers of supreme leader, said territory in some regional countries was being used — openly and covertly — for attacks against Iran. He warned that retaliatory strikes would continue.
Hours after Pezeshkian’s announcement, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their drones struck a U.S. air combat centre at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Reuters was unable to independently verify the claim.
Authorities in Dubai said an Asian man was killed in the Al Barsha district after debris from an aerial interception fell onto a vehicle. Earlier, Emirates airline briefly suspended flights to and from Dubai after what officials described as a minor incident caused by falling debris.
Dubai officials also said fragments from a separate interception struck the facade of a tower in the Dubai Marina area, causing minor damage but no injuries.
Iranian state media also reported that Revolutionary Guards forces targeted U.S. troops at a base in Bahrain. Meanwhile, a Reuters witness reported hearing explosions in Doha.
Gulf States Hit By Drones and Missiles
The U.S.–Israeli war on Iran has spread beyond Iranian territory as Tehran has responded with attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. military installations. Israel has also launched fresh strikes in Lebanon following cross-border attacks by the Iran-aligned Hezbollah militia.
Gulf governments have voiced anger that civilian infrastructure — including hotels, ports and oil facilities — has been hit despite their countries not being involved in the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iraq have all reported drone or missile incidents over the past week.
“The UAE has thick skin and bitter flesh – we are no easy prey,” UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said during a visit to people injured in the strikes on Friday. His remarks were broadcast on Abu Dhabi TV on Saturday and marked his first public comments since the Iranian attacks.
Israel Warns Lebanon Over Hezbollah
As the conflict widened, Israel warned Lebanon it would pay a “very heavy price” if it failed to rein in Hezbollah. Israeli forces intensified airstrikes on the group’s strongholds and carried out a deadly airborne raid in eastern Lebanon.
Video footage from Saturday showed more buildings in the Hezbollah-controlled southern suburbs of Beirut reduced to smoking rubble, with debris and tangled wires scattered across the area.
The heavy bombardment followed Israeli evacuation warnings for civilians. Lebanon’s health ministry said the death toll from Israeli strikes since Monday had risen to 294.
According to Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, U.S. and Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands more. Iranian state media reported large explosions in parts of Tehran, while Israel said it had targeted missile facilities and command centres.
Iranian attacks have killed 10 people in Israel, while at least six U.S. service members have also died during the conflict.
Iran Rejects Trump Role in Choosing New Leader
Iran’s strategy of expanding the conflict has heightened economic concerns, driving up energy prices and disrupting global trade routes in a region critical to the world economy.
Kuwait’s national oil company began reducing production on Saturday, adding to earlier oil and gas cuts reported in Iraq and Qatar.
Global markets have been shaken by the fighting, with oil prices reaching multi-year highs as the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been closed to shipping.
Trump said the U.S. Navy could escort vessels through the Gulf. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responded by challenging Washington to do so, with spokesperson Alimohammad Naini saying Iran “welcomes” and is “awaiting” any U.S. naval presence in the strait, according to state media.
The U.S. president has also repeated his demand for a role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, a proposal rejected by Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations.
Iranian media reported that hardline clerics are calling for a swift decision on the country’s next leader. Ayatollah Hossein Mozafari, a member of the 88-member Assembly of Experts tasked with choosing the supreme leader, said the body could meet within 24 hours to decide.
“President Pezeshkian’s openness to de-escalation within our region – provided that our neighbors’ airspace, territory, and waters are not used to attack the Iranian People – was almost immediately killed by President Trump’s misinterpretation of our capabilities, determination and intent,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in a statement.
“If Mr. Trump seeks escalation, it is precisely what our Powerful Armed Forces have long been prepared for, and what he will get.”
