New Delhi, Updated At: 02:00 AM Mar 08, 2026 IST
People inspect the damage in the town of Nabi Chit, Lebanon. REUTERS
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday apologised for attacks on neighbouring countries even as US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” if attacks on American or allied facilities continued. Pezeshkian dismissed calls from Washington for Tehran’s unconditional surrender.
In a televised address, Pezeshkian said Iran had “no hostility toward regional countries” and signalled that strikes on neighbouring states would stop unless their territory was used for attacks against Iran.
Shortly after the address, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had launched drones targeting a US satellite communications facility, early-warning radars and fire-control systems at the Al Dhafra airbase in the UAE. Satellite imagery and regional reports indicated Iranian strikes may also have targeted US-linked air-defence radar systems across the Gulf, including sites tied to advanced defence deployments. Interceptor systems in the region reportedly neutralised most incoming threats.
Explosions were reported in parts of Iran as Israeli aircraft carried out fresh strikes on military sites near Tehran. Iran simultaneously launched new waves of ballistic missiles toward Israel, triggering air-raid sirens in cities including Tel Aviv and forcing residents into shelters. Israeli authorities said air-defence systems intercepted several incoming projectiles.
Across the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and the UAE reported intercepting missiles and drones aimed at US-linked installations. Officials said more than 90 percent of incoming projectiles targeting the UAE had been intercepted, though falling debris from interceptions caused casualties and injuries.
President Trump again warned Iran it would be “hit very hard” if attacks on American or allied facilities persisted, rejecting Tehran’s signals that it might halt strikes on neighbouring countries.
With missile exchanges now stretching from Israel and Iran to Lebanon and the Gulf, diplomats and analysts warn the confrontation risks spiralling into a broader regional war spanning multiple fronts across West Asia.
