Iran Rejects Trump’s Demand for Surrender as Conflict Enters Eighth Day

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s president apologized Saturday for attacks on regional countries even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states, indicating that Tehran’s political leadership could not exercise full command over Iran’s armed forces. He also rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated demands for surrender.

President Masoud Pezeshkian, one member of a tripartite leadership council overseeing Iran since a Feb. 28 airstrike started the war and killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, delivered the defiant message exactly one week into a conflict that has spread across the region, rattled global markets and air travel and left Iran’s own leadership greatly weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes. The message, seemingly filmed in a hurry without professional broadcast equipment, again underlined the limited powers being exercised by the theocracy’s leaders over its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the ballistic missiles targeting Israel and others. It answers only to Khamenei and now appears to be picking its own targets as the conflict widens.

Trump Issues Warning

Shortly after Pezeshkian’s message, Trump warned in a social media post Saturday that more Iranian officials would become targets in the war, writing: “Today Iran will be hit very hard!” NDTV reports that Trump noted the apology by Pezeshkian. “Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” Trump wrote, without elaborating.

Iranian Strikes and Apology

While the Iranian president attempted to assuage growing Gulf Arab anger over the attacks, just hours earlier a wave of missiles and drones had disrupted flights at Dubai International Airport, targeted a major Saudi oil facility and sent people fleeing for cover multiple times in Bahrain. The Guardian details these recent events.

Pezeshkian also kept up his criticism of Trump’s call for Iran to unconditionally surrender to America. “That’s a dream that they should take to their grave,” he said. Pezeshkian’s statement Saturday said Iran’s three-man leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces over the attacks. “I should apologize to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” the president said. “From now on, they should not attack neighbouring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.”

Confusion Over Military Actions

Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, Iran’s armed forces spokesman, added more confusion by saying after Pezeshkian that Tehran has “not hit countries that did not provide space for America to invade our country.”

Policy Reversal and Chaos Following Leadership Loss

According to DW.com, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has blamed attacks on Tehran’s Gulf neighbors on chaos following the death of top Iranian leaders.

Escalation and International Response

There was no foreseeable end to the fighting. Trump’s administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel after Trump said he would not negotiate with Iran without its “unconditional surrender” and U.S. Officials warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign they said would be the most intense yet in the weeklong conflict. Iran’s U.N. Ambassador said the country would “take all necessary measures” to defend itself. Associated Press video showed explosions flashing and smoke rising over western Tehran as Israel said it had begun a broad wave of strikes.

The U.S. And Israel have battered Iran with strikes, targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. The stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted as the U.S. Has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within. The fighting has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. Six U.S. Troops have been killed.

Regional Impact

Also, early Saturday, incoming missiles from Iran had people heading to bomb shelters across Israel and loud booms sounded in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of casualties by Israel’s emergency services. Iran strikes Gulf States as fighting spreads. In a sign of the widening nature of the conflict, sirens sounded early Saturday in Bahrain as Iranian attacks targeted the island kingdom. And Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones headed toward its vast Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. Forces.

In Dubai, several blasts were heard Saturday morning and the government said it had activated air defenses. Passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport found themselves ushered down into train tunnels at the sprawling airfield after the alert sounded. Later that morning, long-haul carrier Emirates said that “all flights to and from Dubai have been suspended until further notice.” Shortly after, the decision was reversed and Emirates said the airline would resume operations.

Qatar Warns of Economic Consequences

Qatar’s energy minister, Saad al-Kaabi, warned in an interview with the Financial Times that the war could “bring down the economies of the world,” predicting a widespread shutdown of Gulf energy exports that could send oil to $150 a barrel.

Hezbollah Clashes and Calls for New Leadership

Fighting with Israeli troops was reported in eastern Lebanon. The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with an Israeli force that landed late Friday in the mountains of eastern Lebanon. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes on the eastern town of Nabi Chit and nearby areas left 41 people dead and 40 wounded. The Lebanese army said the dead included three of its troops. Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi urged the country’s Assembly of Experts to act quickly to name a new supreme leader.