One week on, U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran continue
Smoke and fire rise from the site of an air strike on Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on March 7, 2026. (Photo: ATTA KENARE / AFP via Getty Images)
Atta Kenare | Afp | Getty Images
US and Israeli air strikes on Iran continued on Saturday, a week after they launched their joint campaign to rid Tehran of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities while also pressing for regime change.
Tehran’s energy-rich neighbors in the Gulf said they had seized more missiles and drones from Iran heading into their airspace, while the country’s president reportedly apologized for the attacks.
“U.S. forces hit more than 3,000 targets in the first week of Operation Epic Fury, and we are not slowing down,” U.S. Central Command said. to mail In X.
President Donald Trump on Friday demanded unconditional surrender from Iran, raising fears of a protracted war that could damage the global oil and gas market. The war has already brought traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for energy supplies, to a near standstill.
The Israeli military said “a new wave of attacks on Tehran has been completed.”
The Israel Defense Forces said, “As part of these attacks, Air Force warplanes launched approximately 230 munitions into many military sites of the regime.” Persian script In X.
The Israeli Defense Forces said the targets included the Central Military University affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a missile storage site and an underground site where ballistic missiles are stored and produced.
More than 80 Israeli warplanes participated in the strikes, the IDF said in a separate post.
“These attacks weaken the Iranian regime’s ability to fire on Israeli civilians,” the IDF said.
Gulf region is under threat
Regional countries said they launched air defenses to fend off Iranian attacks.
Ministry of Defense of Saudi Arabia reported “Interception and destruction of a drone east of the city of Riyadh”.
Saudi Arabia’s northern neighbor, the United Arab Emirates, said its air defenses were responding to “missile and drone threats from Iran.”
” [Ministry of Defense] BAE claims that the sounds heard are the result of Air Defense systems intercepting missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.” in question.
Dubai, the country’s largest city, issued an alert urging residents to urgently seek shelter in secure buildings and stay away from windows, doors and open areas.
Dubai-based airline Emirates in question suspended all flights to and from the city.
Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian reportedly said that the US demand for unconditional surrender was “a dream they should take to their grave.”
Pezeshkian made the statement in a pre-recorded address broadcast by state television, the Associated Press reported.
AP stated that he also apologized for Iran’s attacks on regional countries, insisted that Tehran would stop these attacks, and claimed that they were caused by miscommunication within the ranks.
U.S. crude oil posted its biggest weekly gain in futures history on Friday as escalating war in the Middle East triggered a major disruption to global fuel supplies.
US crude oil rose 35.63%, marking the biggest weekly gain in the history of futures contracts since 1983. Brent gained nearly 28%, its biggest weekly gain since April 2020.
West Texas Intermediate futures rose 12.21%, or $9.89, to close at $90.90 a barrel. Global benchmark Brent rose 8.52%, or $7.28, to settle at $92.69 per barrel.
