Israel and Iran exchanged further attacks as the Middle East war entered its second week on Saturday, with the fighting spreading across the region and raising fears of a broader confrontation. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attempted to ease tensions with neighboring Gulf states by apologizing for damage caused by Iranian actions, even as Iran’s military continued to launch strikes against U.S. positions in the region.
In a public statement, Pezeshkian said he personally apologized to neighboring countries affected by Iran’s actions and urged them not to join what he described as U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran. At the same time, he rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for Iran’s unconditional surrender, calling it unrealistic. Iran’s temporary leadership council agreed to suspend attacks on nearby states unless strikes on Iranian territory were launched from those countries.
Trump dismissed the apology as a sign of weakness and warned that Iran would face severe military action. He also suggested the United States could widen its involvement in the conflict. The exchange of rhetoric came amid growing tensions as the war spread beyond Iran’s borders.
Pezeshkian’s remarks triggered a political backlash inside Iran, where hardline figures accused him of adopting a weak stance. His office later clarified that Iran’s military would respond firmly to any attacks originating from U.S. bases in the region. The president repeated parts of his statement on social media hours later but omitted the apology that had angered conservative factions, including members of the Revolutionary Guards.
Hardline cleric and lawmaker Hamid Rasai criticized the president’s comments on social media, calling them unprofessional and unacceptable. A former Revolutionary Guards commander also condemned the idea of apologizing, while judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei warned that Iran would continue retaliatory strikes against regional countries whose territory was used to attack Iran.
Shortly after Pezeshkian’s announcement, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said their drones had struck a U.S. air combat center at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The claim could not be independently verified. Authorities in Dubai reported that an Asian man was killed when debris from an intercepted aerial object fell onto a vehicle in the Al Barsha district. Emirates airline temporarily suspended flights to and from Dubai after the incident, while additional debris caused minor damage to a tower in Dubai Marina without injuries.
Iranian state media also reported that U.S. forces stationed at a base in Bahrain had been targeted, while witnesses in Qatar reported hearing explosions in the capital, Doha. Over the past week, multiple Gulf states including the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Iraq have reported drone or missile incidents linked to the escalating conflict.
Gulf governments condemned the strikes, saying civilian infrastructure such as hotels, ports and oil facilities had been hit despite their lack of involvement in the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran. UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan vowed that the country would not be intimidated, saying the UAE was not easy prey as he visited those injured in recent attacks.
Meanwhile, Israel warned Lebanon that it would face severe consequences if it failed to restrain Hezbollah militants after cross-border attacks by the Iran-aligned group. Israeli warplanes launched heavy airstrikes on Hezbollah strongholds in Beirut’s southern suburbs and carried out a deadly airborne raid in eastern Lebanon. Video footage showed entire blocks reduced to smoking rubble after residents had been ordered to evacuate.
Lebanon’s health ministry reported that Israeli strikes since Monday had killed at least 294 people. In Iran, the country’s ambassador to the United Nations said U.S.-Israeli attacks had killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands more. Israeli authorities reported that Iranian attacks had killed 10 people in Israel, while at least six U.S. service members have also died during the fighting.
The conflict has already begun to affect global markets and energy supplies. Oil prices have surged to multi-year highs as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively halted, disrupting one of the world’s most critical energy corridors. Kuwait’s national oil company said it had begun cutting output, following earlier reductions in oil and gas production by Iraq and Qatar.
The United States has indicated that the U.S. Navy could escort commercial vessels in the Gulf to protect shipping routes, but Iran’s Revolutionary Guards challenged the move and said they would welcome any American presence in the strait.
Trump has also reiterated his demand that Washington have a role in selecting Iran’s next supreme leader, a proposal strongly rejected by Iranian officials. Hardline clerics within Iran have called for the swift appointment of a new leader, and members of the Assembly of Experts are reportedly considering meeting within 24 hours to begin the process.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi accused the United States of misinterpreting Iran’s attempt to de-escalate regional tensions. He warned that if Washington pursued further escalation, Iran’s armed forces were prepared for a prolonged confrontation. The rapidly expanding conflict now threatens to engulf multiple countries across the Middle East while sending shockwaves through global energy markets and international trade.
