Trump wants Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ as attacks continue

Mar 07, 2026 News

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(AL-JAZEERA) US President Donald Trump wants “unconditional surrender” from Iran, warning there will not be a deal without it.

The war between the United States, Israel and Iran entered its seventh day on Friday, with attacks continuing across Iran and other countries in the Middle East.

Iran continues its missile and drone attacks across the Gulf as Washington and Tel Aviv claim their campaign – codenamed Operation Epic Fury – is crippling Iran’s military.

Estimates released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) on Thursday put the cost of the first 100 hours of Operation Epic Fury at $3.7bn, or about $891m per day. Most of this cost – $3.5bn – has not been budgeted for, CSIS reported.

In Iran

Ongoing US and Israeli military campaign: The US and Israel are continuing their military strikes on Iran, marking the seventh day of the conflict. At least 1,332 people have been killed in Iran since the attacks started on Saturday.

The Israeli military claims to have achieved “near-complete air superiority”, stating it has carried out 2,500 strikes and destroyed 80 percent of Iran’s air defence systems.

Targeting western Iran: Israel claims to have struck more than 400 targets in western Iran on Friday alone, destroying ballistic missile launchers and drone storage facilities.

Missiles fired at Israel: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the start of its 23rd wave of strikes, and the Israeli military confirmed that defence systems were intercepting missiles launched from Iran.

Leadership succession and US interference: Following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike on Tehran on Saturday, the question over his succession remains, with reports circling that his son, Mojtaba Khamenei, could take over.

However, on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he intends to play a direct role in selecting Iran’s next leader, explicitly calling Mojtaba an “unacceptable” choice.

Invasion warnings: Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, warned that Iranian forces are “waiting” for a potential US ground invasion and threatened to kill and capture thousands of US troops.

Iran strikes: The US says Iran’s ballistic missile attacks have fallen by 90 percent since the first day of the conflict, while drone attacks have dropped by 83 percent over the same period.

Kuwait: The US suspended operations at its embassy in Kuwait City following retaliatory Iranian strikes, as Kuwait’s air defence systems intercepted missiles and drones.

Bahrain: An Iranian missile hit a state-run oil refinery in a Bahraini industrial town, but the resulting fire was contained.

UAE and Qatar: The UAE said its air defences intercepted multiple Iranian missiles and more than 120 drones. Qatar also reported being targeted by a barrage of Iranian missiles and drones on Thursday after loud explosions were heard in the capital, Doha.

About 20,000 Americans have left the Middle East: The State Department reported that thousands have already left the region, primarily unassisted, but the government is arranging charter flights for private citizens still looking to evacuate.

Evacuation disruption: A French evacuation flight charted by the government to rescue citizens stranded in the United Arab Emirates was forced to turn back mid-flight due to missile fire in the region.

Military redeployments: Germany has already withdrawn troops stationed in Bahrain back to Germany and is actively preparing to withdraw its forces from Kuwait.

Satellite imagery delayed: Planet Labs, a major provider of high-resolution space imagery, announced a mandatory 96-hour delay on all new images collected over the Gulf states. This measure is intended to prevent adversarial actors from using the images to endanger allied, NATO, and civilian personnel in the region.

CENTCOM warnings: Brad Cooper, the head of the US military’s Middle East-based Central Command (CENTCOM), accused Iran of deliberately firing seven attack drones at civilian neighbourhoods in Bahrain. He warned that Iran’s actions are “unacceptable and will not go unanswered”.

In Israel

Tel Aviv targeted: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced it had launched a combined drone and missile attack on Tel Aviv and central areas of Israel.

Domestic closures and West Bank violence: Amid the security threats, Israel’s Civil Administration has closed all holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City and cancelled Friday prayers.

Rhetoric from officials: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned that the Dahiyeh area of Lebanon’s capital would soon look “like Khan Younis,” referring to the city in southern Gaza that was decimated during Israel’s war against Palestinians.

In the US

Military strikes: US Central Command reported striking approximately 200 targets in Iran over the past 72 hours, including ballistic missile launchers and naval vessels.

Trump’s claims: Trump said Iran is being “demolished”, “ahead of schedule and at levels people have never seen before”, claiming the country now has “no air force, no air defence”. The air force is “gone”, he said.

Congressional backing: The Republican-led US House of Representatives voted 219 to 212 against an effort to halt the war and require congressional authorisation for hostilities against Iran.

Instability denied: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed back against criticism, denying that the US and Israel have caused regional instability.

Economic impact: The ongoing war has rattled US financial markets. Earlier in the week, the Dow Jones plummeted by more than 1,000 points (2.2 percent) as oil prices climbed due to the war.

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• Iran war, surrender, Trump, US and Israeli military, war

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