Iranians defiant even as relentless bombing leaves over 1,200 dead

• Dar phones Araghchi; Pezeshkian says some nations have begun mediation efforts
• Markets tumble as Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’, says ‘waste of time’ to send ground troops
• White House says operations could take ‘four to six weeks’; claims intel agencies ‘looking at potential leaders’
• Gulf states, Azerbaijan reel from drone attacks, missile strikes
• US media claims Russia supplying intelligence to Iran’s forces
• Iran thanks Saudis for not letting airspace be used for offensive actions

TEHRAN / WASHINGTON: Even as the US and Israel unleashed cataclysmic bombing raids across the country, thousands of Iranians defiantly took to the streets of Tehran after Friday prayers, rallying in memory of their assassinated supreme leader and railing against the invasion of their country.

Footage aired by Iranian media showed crowds of men and women dressed in black, some carrying Iranian flags, streaming to an open space outside the Grand Mosque of Imam Khomeini in the capital.

The war, now in its seventh day, has dragged in global powers, upended the world’s energy and transport sectors, and brought chaos to even usually peaceful areas of the Middle East.

At least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran since the US and Israel launched their offensive on Feb 28, according to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian posted on X: “Some countries have begun mediation efforts.” He did not identify the countries or provide further details.

“Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region, but we have not the slightest hesitation in defending the dignity and authority of our country,” he added.

The indication came as Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, expressing concern over the evolving situation in the Middle East.

“The DPM/FM expressed concern over the evolving regional situation. The two agreed to remain in touch on the developments,” the FO said in a post on X.

Although the Iranian president’s alluding to mediation sparked hopes of a peaceful resolution, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi justified Tehran’s latest moves, saying “this war was imposed on us” by the US and Israel.

In a fiery interview with France 24, the diplomat said, “We were negotiating in good faith,” before the US changed its tune.

“We do not trust the Americans,” he said. “Not only did they betray us, but they betrayed diplomacy.”

Markets tumble as Trump demands surrender

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender” on Friday, saying that after the selection of an “acceptable” leader, Washington and its allies will “work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before”.

However, he noted that sending ground troops into Iran would be a “waste of time”.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt claimed the US has enough weapons stockpiles to meet the needs of its Iran operations, which she said would take about “four to six weeks to complete”.

“I know there’s a number of people that our intelligence agencies and the United States government are looking at, but I won’t get any further on that,” she added.

“What the president means is that when he, as Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces, determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America, and the goals of Operation Epic Fury have been fully realised, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not,” Leavitt said when asked about Trump’s demand for an unconditional surrender from Tehran.

The surrender demand, and the likelihood that this would complicate any quick path to ending a conflict that has interrupted global energy supplies, caused immediate shock in financial markets.

European share markets, open at the time of Trump’s post, suffered a sudden swoon. Wall Street indexes fell on Friday, with the Dow and S&P 500 touching a more than three-month low.

Separately, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned “unlawful attacks” across the Middle East and warned that the situation could spiral out of control as the conflict spreads to multiple countries.

Iran bombed

The Israeli military claimed to have hit more than 400 targets in Iran, as massive explosions ripped through the Iranian capital with several locations, including the vicinity of the iconic Azadi Tower, being hit.

An Iranian official also shared a video of a school in Tehran that was hit by US-Israeli attacks.

At least two people were also killed in an attack on a residential building in the city of Qom, the Tasnim news agency reported.

Friday morning’s strikes on Tehran followed warnings from Israel and the US that they were escalating attacks.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also announced “firepower over Iran and over Tehran is about to surge dramatically”.

In response, Iran said it had fired a new salvo of drones and missiles at Israel “against targets in the occupied territories [Israel] and US bases in the region”.

In cities such as Jerusalem, explosions could be heard as Israeli defences activated to shoot down incoming Iranian fire.

Attacks across the Gulf

The UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia all reported fresh drone and missile attacks.

Riyadh said it had intercepted a cruise missile east of the Al-Kharj governorate, although it did not specify who launched it.

The IRGC said they targeted a US base in the UAE that they claimed had been used as a launchpad for a strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab.

“Al-Dhafra air base, belonging to American terrorists in the region, was targeted using drones and precision missiles,” said a statement broadcast on state TV.

Iran’s army also said it had attacked US bases in Kuwait and vowed that it would stage further strikes.

Explosions sounded near Erbil airport in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region and an attack forced a US-run oil field to shut production.

Drones targeted a military base at Baghdad airport that hosts a US diplomatic facility, while four drones also struck Basra airport in southern Iraq and two nearby oil facilities.

Azerbaijan also claimed to have prevented a series of Iranian attacks on its territory, a day after Baku accused Iran of firing drones at an airport and school in an Azerbaijani border region.

Russia ‘sharing intelligence’

US outlet CBS News has claimed that Russia is providing intelligence on US positions to Iran.

It cites three unnamed sources familiar with the matter, including a senior US official it says has direct knowledge.

The Washington Post initially reported that Russia is providing intelligence on US positions, citing three unnamed officials.

Russian state media reported earlier that Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson said Russia was in “dialogue” with Iranian leadership.

Reuters reports that the Kremlin declined to provide details when asked by reporters whether Moscow was helping Tehran.

Iran thanks Saudi Arabia

Iranian ambassador to Saudi Arabia Alireza Enayati says his country welcomes Riyadh’s pledge not to allow its territory or airspace to be used in the ongoing Israeli-US war on Iran.

“We appreciate what we have repeatedly heard from Saudi Arabia — that it does not allow its airspace, waters, or territory to be used against the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Enayati told AFP.

Before the war began, Saudi Arabia had backed diplomatic efforts to ease tensions between Tehran and Washington and said its airspace would not be used for attacks on Iran.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2026