The military operation against Iran entered its eighth day on Saturday. Israeli forces continued to expand their strikes against Iranian proxies Hezbollah in Lebanon, while the remnants of the leadership in Tehran vowed to keep fighting but apologized for hitting its Gulf neighbours, and President Trump has warned that Iran will be “hit very hard” today.
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**Saturday’s live updates below. All updates in Eastern time**
9:35 PM: Israel strikes “key” Quds Force commanders in Beirut
According to the Israel Defense Forces, multiple “key commanders” in the Lebanese Quds Force branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were struck in a “targeted manner” in Beirut on Saturday evening.
The IDF said that it will “not allow the entrenchment of Iranian terror elements in Lebanese territory and will continue to eliminate in a targeted manner the commanders of the Iranian terror regime wherever they operate.”
7:20 PM: Israel strikes fuel depots in Tehran
Sections of the Iranian capital were engulfed in flames on Saturday evening as the Israeli military struck multiple fuel tanks, which they claimed were used by the regime’s military.
“The military forces of the Iranian terror regime make direct and frequent use of these fuel tanks to operate military infrastructure. Through them, the Iranian terror regime distributes fuel to various consumers, including military entities in Iran,” the IDF said in a statement per the Times of Israel. Footage shared online purporting to capture the blast has been described as “apocalyptic”.
Smoke and fire rise following explosions in Tehran on March 7, 2026, after the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, prompting Iranian retaliation with missile attacks across the region. (Photo by Mahsa / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)
6:50 PM: Trump brands Iranian regime as ‘Evil Empire’
Recalling Ronald Reagan’s moniker for the former Soviet Union, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday of the conflict in Iran: “We’re winning the war by a lot. We’ve decimated their whole evil empire. It’ll continue, I’m sure, for a little while — but I’m very proud of the people. The parents were so proud.”
“We’ve accomplished more in one week than anyone thought possible. We’ve wiped out their navy — 44 ships. We’ve wiped out their air force — every plane. We’ve wiped out most of their missiles… We’ve hurt them where it hurts,” President Trump added.
6:05 PM: Ayatollah’s son believed to have been injured in strike
According to a report from the Times of Israel, security officials in Jerusalem believe that Mojtaba Khamenei was wounded in a recent strike on Iran by the United States and Israel. The second son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, has been widely tipped as a leading candidate to become the next Supreme Leader of the country.
4:45 PM: Trump roasts “once great ally” UK
Responding to reports that the British government is planning to deploy at least one of its aircraft carriers to the Middle East, U.S President Donald Trump suggested that it is too little, too late to make up for the initial prevarications from London.
“The United Kingdom, our once Great Ally, maybe the Greatest of them all, is finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East. That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember. We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!” President Trump wrote on Truth Social.
During the outset of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, Prime Minister Starmer refused to allow the U.S. Military to use British bases to launch strikes on Iran. He later slightly relented and allowed American forces to wage “defensive” operations against Iran from UK bases.
4:30 PM: Iraq vows to hunt down perpetrators of an attempted attack on U.S. Embassy
Iraqi Prime Minister Mr. Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, who also serves as the country’s commander-in-chief, has ordered all of his nation’s military and security services to “pursue the perpetrators of the terrorist act of launching projectiles toward the perimeter of the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, and to bring them to justice.”
The PM argued that by attacking a diplomatic mission in Iraqi territory, those responsible were “committing an affront to Iraq, its sovereignty, and its security.”
It followed a reported attempt by Iran to strike the embassy missiles, which were shot down by U.S. defenses, according to CBS.
3:20 PM: Time to rise up approaching, says Bibi
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Saturday that there are “many surprises” left to come in the plan “to destabilize the regime, to enable change” in Iran, the Times of Israel reported.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that ultimately, it will have to be the Iranian people to replace their tyrannical government.
“The moment of truth is drawing near,” he said, suggesting that Jerusalem and Washington will soon call on the Iranian public to take to the streets against their government.
2:15 PM: Drone strike turns deadly in Dubai
The government-run Dubai Media Office said that a Pakistani driver died on Saturday after getting hit by debris from an Iranian drone that was intercepted and fell to the ground over the Al Barsha area of the city. Meanwhile, the nearby 23 Marina residential skyscraper was also hit with shrapnel from an Iranian drone that was intercepted.
The strikes come despite Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologizing earlier in the day to Gulf neighbours for the indiscriminate attacks over the past week and promising to cease targeting neutral nations.
1:40 PM: Trump arrives at Dover for arrival of remains of U.S. service members
U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of War have arrived at the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware for the dignified transfer of the six U.S. military service members who have lost their lives in Operation Epic Fury in Iran.
The service members who were killed in action were:
Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida
Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa
Maj. Jeffrey R. O’Brien, 45, of Indianola, Iowa
CWO Robert M. Marzan, 54, of Sacramento, California
1:30 PM: Shah supporters rally in Paris
Over a thousand people took to the streets of the French capital on Saturday in support of Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the last Shah of Iran. According to Le Figaro, attendees chanted “Shah!” while holding placards praising the United States, including some saying “Thank you, President Trump.”
1:15 PM: Tough talk from Tehran
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Iran’s “openness to de-escalation” was “almost immediately killed by President Trump’s misinterpretation of our capabilities, determination and intent.”
“If Mr. Trump seeks escalation, it is precisely what our Powerful Armed Forces have long been prepared for, and what he will get,” he said.
Araghchi claimed that the strikes on Iran were a result of pressure by a “small cabal of ‘Israel Firsters’,” adding: “‘Israel First’ always means ‘America Last’.”
1:05 PM: U.S condemns Iranian strike on Azerbaijan
State Department Deputy Spokesman Tommy Pigott said that Iranian strikes on Azerbaijan, including the Nakhchivan International Airport and a children’s school, which reportedly injured civilians, represented a “flagrant violation of Azerbaijan’s sovereignty and a needless escalation of Iran’s aggression.”
“The United States stands in full solidarity with Azerbaijan against these threats. Attacks on the territory of our partners in the region are unacceptable and will be met with resolute U.S. support for those partners,” Pigott said.
12:30 PM: Bahrain blasts “sinful aggression” from Iran
The Bahraini Ministry of Interior said that multiple buildings in its capital city of Manama caught on fire and suffered damage following a series of Iranian drone strikes on the Gulf country. The archipelago nation descrined the attacks as “sinful aggression” from Tehran. Earlier today, Iranian President had claimed that Iran would no longer attack neutral Gulf states.
11:45 AM: Israel issues evacuation order for parts of Beirut
The Israel Defense Forces told residents of the southern peripheral areas of Beirut to evacuate ahead of planned strikes against suspected strongholds of the Iran proxy terror group Hezbollah.
“Urgent warning to residents of the southern suburb of Beirut, especially those who have not yet evacuated. We reiterate and emphasize: save your lives and evacuate your homes immediately,” IDF spokesman Col. Avichay Adraee said per the Times of Israel.
“The terror activity carried out by Hezbollah in the suburb compels the IDF to act against it with force. We do not intend to harm you. For your safety and security, you must evacuate immediately,” he added.
10:40 AM: Quds Force aircraft in Tehran destroyed by Israelis
The Israel Defense Force said on Saturday that it had destroyed 16 Qods Force aircraft during airstrikes on the Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran over the past night.
“Aircraft loaded with weapons and cash took off from the airport numerous times and landed across the region for the use of the Iranian terror regime’s proxies,” the IDF said per the Times of Israel.
The IDF claimed that the aircraft were being used to send weapons to the jihadist Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon.
10:25 AM: 42 Iranian ships knocked out, says Trump
Speaking at a ‘Shield of the Americas’ Summit on Saturday in Doral, Florida, U.S President Donald Trump said that American forces have “knocked out 42 navy ships, some of them very large in three days.”
“That was the end of the navy; we knocked out their air force. We knocked out their communications and all telecommunications is gone,” he said. “I don’t know how they communicate, but I guess they will figure something out. It’s not working out too well.”
9:55 AM: U.S. begins using UK bases for Iran conflict
Britain’s Ministry of Defence said on Saturday that the United States’ armed forces have begun using its bases for “defensive” operations in the Iran conflict. Initially, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refused requests from Washington to use NATO air bases; however, under intense pressure, he later relented and approved their use for “defensive” purposes. Offensive strikes by America from British bases against Iran are still being prohibited by the left-wing government in London.
9:30 AM: Kuwait cuts back oil production
The state-owned Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) announced on Saturday that it will reduce crude oil production and refining capacity as a “precautionary” measure amid threats from Iran and the danger posed to cargo ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The national oil company said that it will review the decision as the situation in the region develops and that it “remains fully prepared to restore production levels once conditions allow.”
9:20 AM: U.S. approves sale of more bombs to Israel
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs announced on Friday the approval of the sale of 12,000 470-kg bombs to Israel for $151.8 million. “The proposed sale will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serve as a deterrent to regional threats,” the bureau said.
9:00 AM: Lebanon death toll
The state-run National News Agency of Lebanon claimed on Saturday that 294 people have been killed and 1,023 have been wounded amid the conflict between Israel and Iranian-backed Hezbollah terrorists, which broke the 2024 ceasefire agreement and fired rockets into Israel last week after the strikes on Iran.
8:50 AM: Britain reportedly prepping an aircraft carrier for possible deployment
After facing widespread criticism at home and abroad for a dithering early response to the conflict in Iran, the UK is reportedly preparing aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales for possible deployment to the Middle East, Sky News reported. Meanwhile, The Telegraph reports that four RAF Typhoon fighter jets have been pictured as they arrived in Qatar on Saturday.
7:50 AM: Arab states report continued Iranian attacks
Despite the public apology from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and a promise to halt attacks, multiple neighbouring countries have reported attempted Iranian strikes on Saturday. The Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates said that it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles, while another fell into the sea. The MoD said that it also intercepted 119 Iranian drones, while two fell onto UAE territory. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia said that it intercepted drones on their way to the Shaybah oil field and its capital city of Riyadh.
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud warned on Saturday that Iran should “exercise wisdom and avoid miscalculation.”
7:00 AM: CENTCOM: Not slowing down
U.S. Central Command said that during the first week of Operation Epic Fury in Iran, American forces struck over 3,000 targets in Iran, adding, “and we are not slowing down.”
6:45 AM: U.S. to step up strikes, Trump says
In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the decision by Iran to “surrender” to its Gulf neighbours and halt regional strikes was a result of it being “beat to Hell” by the “relentless” strikes from the United States and Israel.
“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. They have said, ‘Thank you President Trump.’ I have said, ‘You’re welcome!’ Iran is no longer the ‘Bully of the Middle East,’ they are, instead, ‘THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,’ and will be for many decades until they surrender or, more likely, completely collapse!” the president wrote.
President Trump said that Iran “will be hit very hard” on Saturday, and added: “Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”
6:40 AM: Tehran vows to keep fighting, but apologises for strikes on neighbours
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that what remains of his government will never surrender to the forces of the United States and Israel. In a nationally televised address, Pezeshkian is quoted by the Times of London as saying: “The enemies must take their wish for the surrender of the Iranian people to their graves.”
However, Pezeshkian did take a more contrite tone towards Iran’s Arab neighbours and said that Tehran will cease strikes on neutral Gulf states.
“I apologise… to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran”, he said. “The interim leadership council agreed yesterday that no more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries.”
6:35 AM: Israel continues strikes in Lebanon
The Israel Defence Forces said on Saturday that it completed another wave of military strikes against targets across southern Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley, including attacks on rocket launchers, weapons stockpiles, and other Hezbollah sites. The IDF also claimed to have struck commanders from the Radwan Force of the Iranian-backed terror group, which entered the conflict last Sunday, breaking its 2024 truce with Jerusalem to launch rockets into northern Israel in revenge strikes over the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
For earlier Livewire updates from Friday, please click here
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