Flames rise from an oil storage facility south of the capital Tehran as strikes hit town in the course of the U.S.–Israeli navy marketing campaign, Iran, on Saturday, March 7, 2026.
Vahid Salemi | AP Picture
Iran mentioned it struck a U.S. air base within the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, shortly after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian mentioned his nation would cease attacking neighboring international locations.
Iran’s Tasnim Information company mentioned the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy drone unit attacked the Al Dhafra air base south of Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE’s Ministry of Defence mentioned in a submit on X that it detected 121 unmanned aerial automobiles on Saturday, intercepted 119 of them, “whereas two fell throughout the territory of the UAE.” The UAE’s Ministry of International Affairs didn’t instantly reply to a CNBC request for remark.
Pezeshkian mentioned earlier on Saturday that his nation doesn’t intend to assault others and apologized to neighbors within the Gulf after every week of retaliatory strikes because the U.S. and Israel maintained their navy strain on Tehran. However Pezeshkian mentioned the U.S. can “take their desires to the grave; we won’t give up unconditionally.” Pezeshkian made the assertion through Iran’s nationwide information company’s Telegram social media channel.
“I apologize to the neighboring international locations,” Pezeshkian mentioned. “We don’t intend to invade different international locations. Allow us to put aside all of the disagreements, issues, and resentments we’ve towards one another. As we speak, allow us to defend our personal soil to convey Iran out of this disaster with dignity.”
Pezeshkian’s apology rapidly prompted pushback from hardliners in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and clerical elite. In probably the most open criticisms of Pezeshkian, hardline cleric and lawmaker Hamid Rasai addressed the president on social media, saying: “Your stance was unprofessional, weak and unacceptable.”
U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned Pezeshkian’s apology got here after the “relentless U.S. and Israeli assault.”
“Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Center East neighbors, and promised that it’ll not shoot at them anymore,” Trump mentioned in a submit on his Reality Social account. “As we speak Iran will probably be hit very onerous!” Trump wrote.
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran continued on Saturday, one week after they launched their joint marketing campaign to rid Tehran of its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities whereas additionally pushing for regime change.
Kuwait, the fifth-largest oil producer in OPEC, mentioned on Saturday that it’s slicing oil manufacturing as a result of “Iranian threats towards secure passage of ships via the Strait of Hormuz.”
Knowledge from the Maritime Data Heart revealed that the variety of vessels transiting via the Strait every day stays within the single digits. Solely 4 industrial transits had been confirmed previously 24 hours, the info confirmed.
Tehran’s energy-rich neighbors within the Gulf mentioned they intercepted extra missiles and drones headed for his or her airspace from Iran because the nation’s president apologized for the assaults. “U.S. forces have struck over 3,000 targets within the first week of Operation Epic Fury, and we aren’t slowing down,” U.S. Central Command mentioned in a submit on X.
Name to call new supreme chief
Two influential Iranian clerics on Saturday referred to as for the swift collection of a brand new supreme chief, Iranian media reported.
One of many clerics, Naser Makarem Shirazi, a grand ayatollah who instructions a broad following for his non secular rulings, mentioned an appointment was wanted swiftly to “assist higher arrange the nation’s affairs,” state media reported.
The calls counsel that at the least some within the clerical institution are uncomfortable with leaving a three-man council in cost — even briefly beneath constitutional guidelines — after the killing of Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump has argued the U.S. ought to have a task in selecting the brand new chief, a requirement Iran has rejected.
‘Unconditional give up’
Trump on Friday demanded the unconditional give up from Iran, elevating fears of a protracted battle that would wreak havoc on the worldwide oil and fuel market. The battle has already introduced site visitors within the Strait of Hormuz, a essential transport route for vitality provides, to a close to standstill.
Israel’s navy mentioned “one other wave of assaults in Tehran has been accomplished”.
“Throughout the framework of those assaults, Air Drive fighter jets launched roughly 230 munitions towards a number of navy websites of the regime,” the Israel Protection Forces mentioned in a Farsi submit on X.
The targets included the Central Navy College of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a missile storage web site and an underground web site for storing and producing ballistic missiles, the IDF mentioned.
The strikes concerned greater than 80 Israeli fighter jets, the IDF mentioned in a separate submit.
“These strikes degrade the Iranian regime’s capacity to fireplace at Israeli civilians,” the IDF mentioned.
Gulf area beneath risk
Nations within the area mentioned they launched air defenses to fend off Iranian assaults.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Protection reported the “interception and destruction of a drone east of Riyadh metropolis”.
The UAE’s largest metropolis, Dubai, issued an alert urging residents to hunt speedy shelter in safe buildings and steer clear of home windows, doorways and open areas.
U.S. crude oil on Friday posted its largest weekly achieve in futures buying and selling historical past, because the escalating battle within the Center East has triggered a significant disruption to international gas provides. U.S. crude soared 35.63% for the most important weekly achieve within the historical past of the futures contract relationship again to 1983. Brent jumped about 28% for its largest weekly achieve since April 2020.
West Texas Intermediate futures surged 12.21%, or $9.89, to shut at $90.90 per barrel. International benchmark Brent rallied 8.52%, or $7.28, to settle at $92.69 per barrel.
— CNBC’s Emma Graham, Pia Singh and Spencer Kimball and Reuters contributed reporting
