New Delhi, Updated 02:00 AM Mar 08, 2026 IST
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued an apology on Saturday for attacks that hit neighbouring countries while also rejecting U.S. demands for Tehran’s unconditional surrender. In a televised address he said Iran harboured “no hostility toward regional countries” and indicated attacks on other states would cease unless their territory was used to launch operations against Iran.
Shortly after the address, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had launched drones against a U.S. satellite communications facility, early-warning radars and fire-control systems at Al Dhafra airbase in the United Arab Emirates. Satellite imagery and regional reports suggested strikes may also have targeted U.S.-linked air-defence radar sites across the Gulf, including locations tied to advanced defensive deployments. Regional interceptor systems reportedly neutralised the majority of incoming threats.
Meanwhile, explosions were reported in parts of Iran as Israeli aircraft struck military sites near Tehran. Iran responded with new waves of ballistic missiles toward Israel, prompting air-raid sirens in cities including Tel Aviv and sending residents to shelters. Israeli authorities said several incoming projectiles were intercepted.
Across the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and the UAE reported intercepting missiles and drones aimed at installations linked to the United States. Officials in the UAE said more than 90 percent of projectiles targeting the country were intercepted, but falling debris from those interceptions caused casualties and injuries.
U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” if attacks on American or allied facilities continued, dismissing Tehran’s conciliatory signals and reiterating a hard line against further strikes.
Diplomats and analysts cautioned that the widening exchanges — spanning Iran and Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf — risk spiralling into a broader regional war with multiple active fronts across West Asia.
