Gulf attacks continue as Iran says Trump 'killed' de‑escalation chance

Six U.S. service members were returned to American soil Saturday at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware following a drone strike on a U.S. tactical operations center in Kuwait.

The fallen, members of an Army Reserve logistics unit, ranged in age from 20 to 54. All service members were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), an Army Reserve logistics unit based in Des Moines, Iowa.

U.S. President Donald Trump attended the dignified transfer ceremony, a solemn military ritual in which flag-draped cases are escorted from aircraft to awaiting vehicles.

This marks the first known return of casualties from the ongoing Middle East conflict.

President Trump salutes as US Army Reserve Sgt Declan Coady 20 killed in a drone strike in Kuwait is returned during a casualty transfer at Dover Air Force Base on March 7 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly criticised British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the United Kingdom’s military support in the Middle East.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, "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."

He added that the U.S. does not "need people that join wars after we’ve already won them."

The Prime Minister and his government have faced criticism for allegedly failing to act quickly enough to protect Cyprus from enemy drones and missiles.

Sir Keir Starmer, however, rejected claims that the UK was unprepared for the Gulf conflict. He said the country had been pre-deploying military assets to the region earlier this year in coordination with the U.S. and other allies.

After the UK agreed to let the U.S. use RAF Fairford and the Diego Garcia base for defensive operations related to the Iran conflict, the first four U.S. Air Force B‑1B Lancer bombers arrived in the United Kingdom.

A United States Air Force B1-B Lancer Bomber lands at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, England, Saturday March 7, 2026. (Ben Birchall/PA via AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a Saturday evening address that Israel and the United States had nearly gained full control of Iranian airspace.

He said the military operations were carried out in coordination with Washington and with the understanding of U.S. President Donald Trump about the scale of the threat posed by Iran to Israel and the wider international community.

"There was a risk that Iran would attack American targets in the region and Israel first, and for this reason, we decided to act first," Netanyahu said.

He added that Israel had become a regional power, saying the shift required "courage, initiative, and taking risks." Netanyahu noted that this had been a key objective of his government since Hamas carried out the October 7 massacre.

"As I promised two days after October 7, we are changing the face of the Middle East. But it's not only the face of the Middle East, its also ourselves. Our initiative and surprising actions are dramatically changing the balance of power between our enemy and us," he said.

Shortly before the statement was issued, Israel announced a fresh round of strikes on Tehran.

Netanyahu directly targeted members of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warning, "You are in the crosshairs."

He said the military operation with the U.S. will "create the conditions that will allow the Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands," and urged Iranians to rise up.

AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg

Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Saturday condemned an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, describing it as a "terrorist act" carried out by "rogue groups."

He said he had ordered military and security forces to track down those responsible.

Earlier, Iraqi security officials said a missile landed on a helicopter landing pad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad. No casualties were reported.

An embassy spokesperson declined to comment, and the U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Embassy of the United States in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 20, 2026. (Photo via US State Department)

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said his country’s willingness to de‑escalate has been "almost immediately killed" by US President Donald Trump, accusing him of misreading Iran’s capabilities, resolve and intent.

In a statement responding to Trump’s remarks earlier today, Araghchi said the misinterpretation has undermined Tehran’s efforts to reduce tensions in the region.

Araghchi warned U.S. President Donald Trump that any attempt at escalation "is precisely what our powerful armed forces have long been prepared for."

He added, "Responsibility for any intensification of Iran’s exercise of self-defence will lie squarely with the US administration."

The comments follow earlier remarks by Iran’s president, who said Tehran would not target neighbouring Gulf states "unless attacked first."

Top hard-line Iranian officials have publicly questioned President Pezeshkian’s suggestion that Iran might curb attacks on regional countries.

Iran’s influential judiciary chief said on Saturday that Tehran’s war strategy will not change, warning that attacks will continue. "The geography of some countries in the region—both overtly and covertly—is in the hands of the enemy, and those points are used against our country in acts of aggression. Intense attacks on these targets will continue," Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei wrote on X.

FILE – In this photo released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, center, heads to the venue for talks between Iran and the U.S. in Muscat, Oman, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)

A Dubai resident was killed when debris from an "aerial interception" struck a vehicle, the Dubai Media Office reported.

During the interception, debris caused an incident at a residential building in Dubai Marina, the government reported.

Footage shows smoke rising from one of the upper floors of the high-rise. Shortly afterward, authorities said a car had also been hit by debris.

This raises the total number of fatalities in the UAE since the start of the war to four, all of whom authorities say were foreign nationals.

Residents across Dubai have reported extremely loud explosions and booms. Officials say these sounds are from air‑defence intercepts, when defensive missiles destroy incoming threats high in the sky, creating powerful sonic booms that can be heard across the city.

There are reports of fighter jets flying overhead at low altitude.

Around Dubai International Airport and other key transport hubs, roads and entrances have been temporarily blocked by authorities for safety after interception operations and precautionary security measures.

23 Marina, a prominent 88-story residential and hotel skyscraper in the Dubai Marina district, was hit by debris from a successfully intercepted projectile.

Video: Euronews

Leaders across the Middle East and beyond have engaged in a series of high-level diplomatic talks today in response to escalating military operations linked to Iran. The diplomatic activity comes as tensions rise across the Gulf and neighboring regions, prompting urgent international coordination.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke with a number of global leaders, including the presidents of Iraqi Kurdistan, the Philippines, Paraguay, and Tonga, as well as foreign ministers from France, Italy, New Zealand, Guyana, Azerbaijan, and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held phone calls with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Cyprus’ leadership to coordinate responses and reinforce regional security measures.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar also participated in talks with his counterparts from the UAE and Malaysia, emphasizing the importance of de-escalation and diplomatic engagement. Russian President Vladimir Putin added to the diplomatic push by urging an immediate halt to hostilities in a call with Iranian officials, according to Reuters.

Looking ahead, additional diplomatic engagements are planned in the coming days. The Arab League has scheduled an emergency video conference on Sunday to discuss Iranian attacks and regional security.

EU leaders, including Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, are set to meet Middle Eastern leaders via video conference on Monday. China has also announced that its special envoy will travel to the region in the coming days to facilitate de-escalation efforts.

An Iraqi Shiite cleric holds a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Tehran, during a symbolic funeral in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, March 6, 2026.

The Trump administration has declared an emergency and bypassed Congress to immediately sell 12,000 bombs to Israel amid ongoing military operations against Iran.

According to a notice from the U.S. State Department, Israel requested to purchase "twelve thousand (12,000) BLU-110A/B general purpose, 1,000-pound bomb bodies," worth more than $151 million.

"Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined and provided detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and defense services is in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements," the notice says.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks while President Donald Trump, left, listens during the Shield of the Americas Summit, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Euronews journalist Lilly Douse had to seek shelter at Dubai Airport following an Iranian drone attack nearby.

Massive intercept explosions continue in Dubai as air defenses respond to incoming threats, according to our reporter.

The U.S. military has deployed additional long-range bombers to the United Kingdom.

The U.K. Ministry of Defence confirmed in the afternoon that the U.S. is using British bases for "specific defensive operations" related to the Iran conflict.

At the start of the war, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer had rejected any British involvement and initially denied the U.S. use of British military bases. However, one day after the conflict began, Starmer announced that he had approved a U.S. request to use U.K. bases for a "special and limited defensive purpose."

This photo, released by the U.S. Air National Guard, shows a U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, a long-range strategic bomber. (Staff Sgt. Whitney Erhart/U.S. Air National Guard via AP)

Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, president of the United Arab Emirates, issued a pointed warning to Iran, saying his country is "not easy prey" and referring to Tehran as an "enemy," marking a notable shift from the UAE’s usual diplomatic tone toward its Gulf neighbour.

In unusually direct public remarks, he said he "wanted to send a message to the enemy of the UAE."

"The UAE is beautiful, the UAE is a model to be followed, but I tell you, do not be deceived by that" he said while visiting a hospital treating civilians injured in the strikes.

"The UAE’s hand can reach and is strong, its flesh is bitter, and we are not easy prey."

These comments, his first since the outbreak of the conflict, came shortly after Emirati air defenses responded to a missile threat, despite earlier statements from Iran’s president suggesting Gulf strikes would pause.

(Maxim Shipenkov/Pool Photo via AP)

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said it has struck the "central air defence command centre" of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Air Force in the heart of Tehran.

According to the Israeli military, the operation targeted air defence systems, headquarters, warehouses and other facilities located near the command centre.

It added that forces also hit a site used for the production and launch of ballistic missiles, which it said included warehouses storing combat equipment belonging to the Quds Force (a specialized unit of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responsible for missions outside Iran’s borders).

U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. military has destroyed 42 ships belonging to the Iranian navy during strikes carried out over the past three days.

He made the claims while addressing leaders from Western Hemisphere countries at the Shield of the Americas Summit in Doral, Florida. The summit brought together the United States and leaders from 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries aligned with Washington on security and anti-cartel policies.

"That was the end of the Navy. We knocked out their air force, we knocked out their communications, and all telecommunications is gone," Trump said. "I don’t know how they communicate, but I guess they will figure something out too well."

Trump also repeated the claim that Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon.

"They would have had a nuclear weapon, you know, crazy, and they would have used it," he said. "So, we did the world a favor."

President Donald Trump speaks at the Shield of the Americas Summit, Saturday, March 7, 2026, at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

Three large interception blasts were reported over Doha, sending shockwaves across parts of the city and prompting emergency alerts on residents’ mobile phones instructing them to seek shelter.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense confirmed its air defenses intercepted a missile targeting the country amid ongoing Iranian attacks.

Air defence activity has also been reported over the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said more drones targeted the country early Saturday, marking a second wave of attacks within hours.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that elements of the Iranian military may not be following a previously announced position from Iran’s civilian leadership, raising concerns about potential internal divisions during the unfolding situation.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that the US is doing "very well" in Iran, saying the war is “a service that we’re providing, not for the Middle East but for the world”.

He is gathering with Latin American leaders at his Miami-area golf club for a "Shield of the Americas" summit, where the US-Israeli war on Iran is looming large.

Trump also said the US has destroyed 42 Iranian navy ships in three days, as well as Iranian air power and telecommunications.

The United States has started using British bases for certain operations against Iran during the Middle East war, the UK government has announced.

Britain's defence ministry said the US had begun using the military sites for "specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region".

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer initially refused to have any role in the US-Israeli war with Iran. Trump had said he was "not happy with the UK" and mocked Starmer by saying "this is not Winston Churchill that we're dealing with".

Starmer, a former human rights lawyer, has defended his initial decision by saying any UK "must always have a lawful basis and a viable thought-through plan". He later agree to a US request to use two British military bases for a "specific and limited defensive purpose".

Those bases are Fairford in Gloucestershire, western England, and the UK-US Diego Garcia base on the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean.

Starmer has also insisted that he was right to change his position because Iran's retaliation with missiles and drones to the US-Israeli strikes have threatened British interests and allies in the region.

The US State Department says more than 28,000 Americans have returned to the United States from the Middle East since the start of the Iran war seven days ago.

The vast majority of those have made their way home without government assistance on commercial flights, although the department said Saturday it had organised more than a dozen charter flights that had evacuated several thousand Americans.

It said it had offered direct assistance - in the form of safety and security information as well as providing charter options - to more than 16,000 US citizens who have reached out for help.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the United States on Saturday of attacking a desalination plant on a Gulf island, saying it had set a precedent.

"The US committed a blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant on Qeshm Island," said Araghchi in a post on X.

"Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted. Attacking Iran's infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The US set this precedent, not Iran."

An Israeli air strike on a town in eastern Lebanon killed six people, including four children, the Lebanese health ministry said, in a separate incident from a nearby commando operation.

"The Israeli enemy raid on the town of Shmistar in the Baalbek district at dawn resulted in the killing of six citizens, including four children and a woman," the ministry said in a statement.

The state-run National News Agency said that the six killed were from the same family, displaced from the city of Baalbek during the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Ghana condemned an attack on a UN base in southern Lebanon that seriously wounded three Ghanaian UN peacekeepers on Friday.

Ghana said it had lodged a formal complaint with the UN.

The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, has accused Israel of targeting them, and the UN peacekeeping force has said it will investigate.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Guterres "condemns the incident on Friday March 6 which resulted in three Ghanaian peacekeepers of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) being injured inside their position in Al Qawzah, southwestern Lebanon".

In its formal complaint to the UN, the Ghanaian government said the officers' mess building inside UNIFIL base had been burned to the ground in the strike.

The attack occurred during an exchange of fire between Israel and Iran-backed Lebanese militia Hezbollah.

The Israeli military's strikes on east Lebanon, where Israeli forces carried out a commando operation, killed 41 people, the Lebanese health ministry said on Saturday.

"The series of raids launched by the Israeli enemy on the town of Nabi Sheet and surrounding towns in the Baalbek district resulted in a total of 41 citizens killed and 40 others wounded," the ministry said in a statement.

A previous toll had reported 16 killed and 35 wounded.

Jordan accused Iran on Saturday of directly targeting sites in the kingdom, firing 119 missiles and drones in the week since US-Israeli strikes triggered a regional war.

Jordanian military spokesman Brigadier General Mustafa Hayari told a news conference that 108 of the projectiles had been intercepted.

"These missiles and drones were targeting vital installations inside Jordan and were not passing through our territories," he said.

US President Donald Trump has warned that “Today Iran will be hit very hard in comments on his Truth Social website, noting an apology by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier in the day to neighbouring nations over Tehran’s attacks.

“Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behaviour, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” Trump wrote, without elaborating.

Trump also said Iran is “being beat to hell” and called the country the “loser of the Middle East.”

The war started on 28 February with joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran which initially killed the country’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other senior leaders.

The stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted, as the US has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within.

There has been anger across the Gulf over repeated Iranian air strikes that Tehran says were targeting US military assets.

But some of those missile and drone attacks have also hit and damaged civilian infrastructure as well as closing down many of the region’s airports, stranding tens of thousands of passengers.

Israel's military said on Saturday it had carried out an operation in Lebanon to find the remains of airman Ron Arad, but failed to uncover any trace of the navigator missing since 1986.

"As part of IDF activities in Lebanon, IDF special forces operated overnight in an attempt to locate findings related to the missing navigator Ron Arad. No IDF injuries were reported," the Israeli army said in a statement.

"No findings related to him were located at the search site."

A prominent cleric in Iran, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi, urged the country’s Assembly of Experts to act quickly and name a new supreme leader, likely in response to ongoing political confusion.

Buildings associated with the 88-cleric panel have been hit by airstrikes in the war, likely slowing any meeting of the group.

“The timely realisation of this important matter will lead to national authority and the best possible organisation of affairs,” Shirazi said in a statement.

Former Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in joint US-Israeli air strikes on 28 February in the opening salvo of the now week-long war.

The United Nations special coordinator for Lebanon on Saturday urged Lebanon and Israel to enter talks to negotiate an end hostilities after the outbreak of a renewed Israel-Hezbollah war.

"As bad as things are today, they are set to get even worse," Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said.

"Talks between Lebanon and Israel can be the game changer needed to save future generations from going, time and again, through the same nightmare."

In December, Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives engaged in their first direct talks in decades as part of a meeting of a committee monitoring the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Lebanon was engulfed by the expanding Middle East war on Monday, after Hezbollah fired missiles at Israel to avenge the death of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.