Israel launched a new “broad-scale” wave of strikes on targets in Tehran as President Donald Trump said only Iran’s “unconditional surrender” would end the escalating war that has engulfed the Middle East and roiled global energy markets.
The Israeli military said it had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israeli territory overnight and that air defenses were activated to intercept them. “Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the military said, as air raid alerts in Israel’s north were lifted minutes later.
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Shortly after, the Israel Defense Forces said it struck government targets in Tehran. Iran’s state broadcaster reported an explosion in the capital’s western districts; details were unclear. AFP journalists described the raids as among the heaviest yet in the city.
The regional conflict widened on multiple fronts. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired at the Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh, which hosts U.S. personnel. Qatar said it was targeted by 10 Iranian drones, nine of which were intercepted, with one landing in an uninhabited area. In Iraq, drones struck airports and oil facilities and hit Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in the north, security officials said.
U.S. Central Command said more than 3,000 Iranian targets have been struck over the past week, including Revolutionary Guard headquarters, command-and-control centers, air defense systems, missile sites, and navy ships and submarines. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, asked about reports that Russia is providing Iran intelligence on U.S. troop positions, said in a CBS interview that Washington is “not concerned,” adding, “We’re tracking everything.”
Trump, who has rejected fresh talks with Tehran, wrote on Truth Social that “there will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender.” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that when the president determines Iran no longer poses a threat and U.S. objectives are met, “Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not.”
Trump also pledged U.S. help to rebuild Iran’s economy if Tehran installs a leader “acceptable” to him to replace supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed last weekend. Iran’s U.N. ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani rejected any foreign role in succession, saying leadership choices “will take place strictly in accordance with our constitutional procedures and solely by the will of the Iranian people.”
The Israeli strikes on Tehran followed intensified bombardments in Lebanon, including Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold, and Baalbek in the east. Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 217 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, warning of a looming humanitarian disaster. The Norwegian Refugee Council said 300,000 people have fled their homes.
Three U.N. peacekeepers were wounded when their base in southern Lebanon was hit, the U.N. mission and Ghana’s military said. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of targeting the compound, and French President Emmanuel Macron called the strike “unacceptable.”
Iran has launched repeated missile and drone attacks on Israel and Gulf states since the war began. At least 10 people have been killed in Israel, according to first responders. Iran’s health ministry said U.S. and Israeli strikes have killed 926 people; that figure could not be independently verified.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres urged “serious diplomatic negotiations” and warned of a “situation that could spiral beyond anyone’s control.” The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced support for an “immediate” cease-fire in Iran during a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Oil prices surged as risk to energy flows mounted. Brent crude jumped 8.5% to $92.69 a barrel, up nearly 30% for the week. Iran has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that handles nearly a fifth of global crude and liquefied natural gas shipments from the Gulf, further tightening supply routes.
Gulf states reported 13 people killed since the war began, including seven civilians. Among them was an 11-year-old girl, Elena Abdullah Hussein, in Kuwait, authorities said.
Six U.S. service members have been killed in the conflict. Trump is expected to attend the dignified transfer of their remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
With missiles, drones and airstrikes crossing multiple borders, and energy chokepoints under threat, pressure is intensifying for a halt to hostilities. For now, both the military tempo and the political rhetoric point the other way.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
