Expressing regret for the damage caused by Iran’s strikes against its neighbours, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday (March 7, 2026) that Tehran would no longer target these countries unless attacks originated from their territory. However, he vowed that Iran would not surrender in its war against the United States and Israel, even as U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to intensify strikes.
As the war entered its eighth day, Israel and the U.S. carried out strikes across Iran, particularly targeting the country’s Air Force, while Tehran fired at least eight missile salvos at Israel since midnight. Several Arab countries were targeted in drone and missile attacks despite Mr. Pezeshkian’s remarks.
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“Iran has never planned, nor will ever plan, an invasion of any neighbour,” Mr. Pezeshkian said in a televised address. “We have repeatedly said that they are our brothers. We aim to work hand-in-hand with our dear brothers and neighbours in the region to establish lasting peace and stability,” he noted.
He said that Tehran’s interim leadership council has decided that neighbouring countries would not be targeted “unless those countries launch an attack on us,” state media reported. He also said Iran “regretted” any damages caused to non-military assets hit by Iranian strikes.
‘No surrender’
On Friday (March 6), Mr. Trump ruled out a deal with Iran’s leadership and demanded “unconditional surrender”. Mr. Pezeshkian insisted this would never happen. “The enemies will take the dream of Iran’s surrender to their grave,” he said, as per a translation of the speech in the State media.
Later, the Iranian President wrote a series of social media posts defending Iran’s military response. “We stand firm to the last breath in defence of our country and resist. Iran’s defensive operations are exclusively against targets and facilities that are the origin and source of aggressive actions against the Iranian nation, and we consider them legitimate targets,” he said.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya army headquarters said in a statement that Tehran respects the sovereignty of neighbouring countries and has not carried out any act of aggression against them. “However, all military bases and interests belonging to the criminal United States and the Israeli regime on land, at sea, and in the air across the region will be considered legitimate targets of powerful strikes by Iran’s Armed Forces,” it added.
‘Loser of the Middle East’
On Saturday (March 7), Mr. Trump claimed that Iran was “being beaten to hell” and had “surrendered” and promised not to attack its neighbours. “This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East. It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern Countries. Iran is no longer the ‘Bully of the Middle East,’ they are, instead, ‘THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST’,” he wrote in a social media post. “Today Iran will be hit very hard,” he added.
The U.S. Central Command said that U.S. forces have struck over 3,000 targets in the first week of Operation Epic Fury, adding that “we are not slowing down”.
Continuing strikes
Neither side signalled any sign of de-escalation, even as attacks and counter-attacks continued throughout the day. The Israeli Defence Forces claimed to have destroyed at least 16 Quds Force planes in strikes. Iran fired waves of missiles targeting central Israel, but Israel has reported that there were no injuries.
An Iranian Army spokesperson said on Saturday (March 7), “220 American soldiers and commanders have been killed or wounded and significant damage has been inflicted on American assets in the region in retaliatory attacks by the Iranian Armed Forces over the past 24 hours.” The Revolutionary Guards also said they had targeted a Marshal Islands-flagged oil tanker in the Persian Gulf waters.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the U.S. of attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island. “Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted. Attacking Iran’s infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The U.S. set this precedent, not Iran,” he wrote on X.
Dubai’s main airport was forced to briefly close on Saturday (March 7) as Iran again launched missiles and drones at targets across the Gulf. Attacks were reported on Saturday (March 7) in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, where the national oil company announced a “precautionary” cut to production. The UAE said it had been targeted with 16 ballistic missiles and more than 120 drones.
Published – March 07, 2026 11:45 pm IST
