Missiles rained on Iran Saturday after President Trump warned the nation could face “complete destruction and certain death.”
The commander-in-chief warned that “areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment” would now be “under serious consideration” for strikes.
At least 16 military aircraft were destroyed during an Israeli attack on Mehrabad International Airport. AFP via Getty Images
It is not yet clear what new targets the President was alluding to in his early-morning Truth Social post Saturday.
Major Taylor Criswell of the US Central Command told The Post, “We will not forecast or discuss military planning for operational security reasons.”
Meanwhile, Ali Larijani, one of Iran’s remaining leaders, issued a chilling warning Saturday that President Trump must “pay the price” following US and Israeli strikes that have decimated Tehran’s top figures.
Larijani, who serves as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and was formerly an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps officer, posted on X: “We won’t let #Trump off the hook; he must pay the price — he’s martyred our leader and our people. This isn’t a simple matter; we won’t let it go until we retaliate in kind.”
The IRGC was flying weapons out of the airport to Hezbollah, the IDF said. AFP via Getty Images
In other developments Saturday:
Strikes unfolded throughout the day as US and Israeli efforts centered on Tehran’s regime targets such as military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program, as well as the sprawling Mehrabad International Airport. Footage shared on social media captured a massive fireball and plumes of black smoke billowing from the airport, which housed the headquarters for Iran’s national carrier.
Israel destroyed 16 Iranian military aircraft being used by the Quds Force – the elite wing of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — to send weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon, the IDF said. The IRGC was using Mehrabad Airport as a “central hub for arming and funding” Iran’s proxies in the Middle East, the IDF claimed, adding that it also targeted several Iranian fighter jets, according to the IDF.
It was revealed that Mojtaba Khamenei — the son of the late ayatollah and xepected next supreme leader — was wounded in an Israeli air strike on the first day of the war, The Times of Israel reported Saturday.
The IDF announced it had “dismantled” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defense situation room, which plays a major role in deflecting missiles launched into the country’s airspace. Several ballistic missile storage facilities, an underground missile command unit and a site used to manufacture and launch missiles were also targeted, the IDF said.
Israel deployed 80 fighter jets to launch strikes on the IRGC’s Shahid Kharrazi barracks in Shahinshahr, and the Najafabad missile base in Isfahan province, according to Israeli media.
The Jewish State is reportedly “optimistic” about the possibility that the Iranian regime will collapse, though there is “no deadline for the campaign,” a senior Israeli official told Channel 12. “As long as the price the home front pays continues to go down and there aren’t US losses, Israel and the US are continuing with full force.” The news comes ahead of a scheduled meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and other security chiefs about the Iran war.
At least eight Israeli soldiers were wounded Saturday, while a deadly wave of Israeli attacks against Hezbollah killed at least 217 and injured 800 in Lebanon, according to authorities
Since the operation began last week, Israel has dropped 7,500 bombs and carried out more than 3,500 airstrikes, the country said.
There was no word on whether the US deployed any of its powerhouse “Bone Bombers” — which can carry 24 missiles and reach speeds up to 900 mph — that it had parked at a UK base Friday. “This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they’re down,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Saturday morning.
The US said it is is “working around the clock” to evacuate American citizens from Israel as it battles an onslaught of Iranian missiles, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee pledged Saturday.
Iran retaliated with its own series of strikes on neighboring nations including Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and others — despite an apology issued by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for the ongoing attacks, suggesting Tehran’s political leadership was not in full command of the armed forces
Explosions could be heard in Baghdad and Erbil Saturday, prompting the activation of Iraq’s air defense systems. Erbil is home to a major US consulate complex
The president of the United Arab Emirates has vowed to defend his country in his first comments since the Gulf nation was hit by Iranian missiles. “The UAE has thick skin and bitter flesh — we are no easy prey,” Mohammed bin Zayed Saturday.
A luxury residential skyscraper in Dubai was struck Saturday by debris from an Iranian missile that was intercepted, officials confirmed. Photographs and footage circulating on social media show smoke billowing from the 23 Marina tower, which stands in a dense area of the UAE city.
Some 4,000 Israelis were stranded in the United Arab Emarites because of airspace closures, with Israel considering a “military solution or special operation” to get them home, according to Channel 13.
Despite its apology for lashing out at its neighbors, Iran showed no signs of backing away from the fight.
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The IRGC — which controls ballistic missiles and answered to Khamenei — reiterated the message later Saturday, saying it would continue pummeling neighboring states that allowed the US and Israel to launch missiles from bases on their land.
“Should the previous hostile actions continue, all military bases and interests” of the US and Israel “on land, sea, and in air” across the region will be Iran’s “primary targets,” Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters warned, according to the Financial Times.
The United Arab Emirates said Iran launched as many as 16 ballistic missiles and 121 drones at the country Saturday, with only two drones striking the nation.
At least one person was killed in Dubai — a Pakistani driver died when debris from an intercepted drone landed on his vehicle, the city’s Media Office reported. A luxury residential skyscraper was also damaged by drone fragments, sending smoke billowing into the sky.
Another unidentified weapon was intercepted near Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, which briefly clouded the airfield.