As the US and Israel’s war against Iran enters its ninth day, the US and Iran appear further apart than ever, with neither side showing any desire to ease tensions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian gave a notable televised speech in which he apologized to neighboring Gulf states and promised not to attack them unless their territory was used to attack Iran. Hours later, new explosions were heard in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump said the US would attack Iran “very hard” and threatened to escalate the conflict. Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said Iran “has no intention of letting Trump go” and that the US president “will have to pay a price”, vowing retaliation against Trump.
The remarks came amid reports that Iran could elect a new supreme leader within the next 24 hours, a member of the country’s Council of Experts told Fars news agency.
Here’s what you need to know:
What are the main headings?
President Trump Signs Escalation: “Iran will be hit very hard today,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social Saturday morning. He also indicated that the U.S. government intends to expand domestic targets, saying certain regions and people are now at risk of “total destruction and certain death.” In response to the warning, a senior Iranian official told CNN that Iran was looking for new U.S. assets to attack.
Iranian president’s speech: President Pezeshikian gave a defiant speech on state media early Saturday morning, saying Iran will never surrender as Iranian forces continue to engage in attacks with Israel and direct artillery fire at many Gulf countries.
Resolute response: Iran also pledged a “firm” response to any aggression from U.S. military bases in the region, after President Pezeshikian apologized to Gulf Arab states and said Iran would stop attacking its neighbors unless attacks against Iran emanate from their territory.
‘Unconditional Surrender’: Mr. Pezeshikian’s defiance comes less than a day after President Trump said he had no deal with Iran other than “unconditional surrender” but did not make any specific demands. Trump also told CNN that he doesn’t care whether Iran becomes a democracy as long as the new leader treats the United States and Israel well, contrasting his previous calls for Iranians to “take over the government” and gain “freedom.”
New attacks: Israel and Iran have launched new attacks. Israel deployed 80 jets on Saturday to launch a “massive wave of attacks” targeting Iranian military infrastructure. It comes after a night of heavy shelling against Iran, with a Tehran resident saying the recent attacks were “really intense.”
Return of fallen soldiers: The dignified transfer of six U.S. service members killed in the conflict with Iran took place at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, and Vice President J.D. Vance attended the event. President Trump, speaking from Florida beforehand, said he intended to “minimize” American deaths in the Iran war.
Israel vows to continue attacks: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will continue attacking Iran with “full force”. “We destabilize the regime and enable change,” he said. Shortly before his statement was released, Israel announced a new wave of attacks against Tehran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu directly threatened members of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, saying, “You are in our crosshairs.”
Iran vows retaliation against Trump: Iran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, accused President Trump of trying to destabilize the country and warned that the United States “will have to pay for its actions.” Larijani said in his speech that Iran “will not let Trump go” until it retaliates. “He must pay the price. He martyred our leaders and our people.”
What is happening in Iran and Lebanon?
Onslaught on Iran: Explosions were reported in the east and west of the capital, and dramatic footage showed Tehran’s Mehrabad airport in flames. Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency accused Israel of attacking the airport. CNN has reached out to the Israel Defense Forces for comment. The United States has attacked more than 3,000 targets in Iran in the past week, according to U.S. Central Command.
Rising casualties: According to Iranian state media, attacks by the US and Israel have so far killed more than 1,230 people in Iran, including children.
Calls for a new leader: A week after Khamenei was killed in a US and Israeli attack, several prominent Iranian clerics have called for the swift selection of a new supreme leader. A member of the Iranian Council of Experts told Fars that a new supreme leader could be chosen within the next 24 hours.
Chaos and fear: Iranian residents say streets are deserted and they live in constant fear as people hide in their homes or flee villages. The fear is further amplified by internet blackouts, leaving many people without access to news or warning systems before the bomb arrives.
Strikes in Lebanon: Nearly 300 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel began a strike on Monday, the Lebanese Health Ministry announced. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday that Lebanon “will pay a price” for failing to disarm the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah. Residents of the Lebanese village of Navichit endured a “night of hell” after Israeli special forces raided the border area and searched for the body of a long-missing airman, one person told Reuters. Israel has issued a general evacuation order for much of southern Lebanon and heavily populated areas of Beirut.
Mass displacement: Israel’s widespread evacuation orders and strikes in Lebanon have displaced nearly half a million people, the Norwegian Refugee Council estimates. Official figures suggest around 100,000 people are in government shelters, but this is likely a fraction of the real number.
Israel’s new target: Israel has launched attacks on Iranian fuel storage facilities as part of the next phase of the war, Israeli officials told CNN. The Israeli military said Saturday night that it had attacked a fuel facility in Tehran that distributes fuel to “various consumers, including Iranian military entities.”
Beirut under shelling: The IDF is currently attacking Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut’s Dahieh district. CNN’s reporting team saw plumes of smoke rising in the southern suburbs.
Gulf states under attack: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE suffered new drone and missile attacks from Friday night into Saturday morning. Witnesses reported hearing a series of loud explosions in Bahrain late Saturday local time. It was not immediately clear whether they were the result of impacts or interceptions. Explosions were also heard in Abu Dhabi and Qatar late Saturday. Earlier, Dubai International Airport was attacked by drones several times. The Saudi Ministry of Defense announced that 16 unmanned aircraft were intercepted early Saturday as they headed towards Shaybah, one of the Middle East’s largest oil fields.
Israel under fire: Iran and Lebanon are firing back at Israel with drones and missiles, with debris falling across the country on Saturday. Israel has repeatedly strengthened its air defenses and warned its citizens to evacuate to safe areas. And on Friday, Hezbollah shelling wounded eight Israeli soldiers, according to the Israel Defense Forces.
Dubai flights resume: Flights to and from Dubai resumed on Saturday after a brief suspension, Dubai Airports said “for the safety of passengers, airport staff and airline crew.” Emirates Airlines has announced that it will resume flight operations. UAE airports are important hubs for connecting flights around the world.
REVIEW FOREIGN INVESTMENTS: Some of President Trump’s oil-rich Gulf Arab states are rethinking foreign investments as their economies are strained by the Iran war, Gulf officials said just months after the president secured trillions of dollars in investment commitments from the region. Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar jointly pledged to invest about $3 trillion into the U.S. economy last year when President Trump visited the region on his first foreign trip. Any change could put pressure on him to end the war.
Kurdistan Hotel: A drone exploded near a hotel in Erbil, hours after the US embassy in Baghdad warned Americans to leave Iraq, saying the hotel could become a target for pro-Iranian militias. A pro-Iranian Islamic extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack and warned the U.S. military and contractors that it would continue to target hotels across the country.
Water supply concerns: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US attack on a desalination plant that turns seawater into drinking water off Oman’s southern coast has affected water supplies in 30 villages.
Kuwait cuts oil production: According to the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation, the Gulf state has preemptively cut oil production. The rise in U.S. gas prices signals new disruption to the global energy industry.
Deadly attack in Iraq: An unidentified airstrike killed one member of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, a predominantly Shiite Iranian-backed militia, and wounded three others, according to the country’s Joint Operations Command.
