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Patrick Wintour<\/p>\nAnalysis: how should we interpret Pezeshkian’s statement?Patrick Wintour<\/p>\n
The announcement by Iran\u2019s president Masoud Pezeshkian that Iran<\/a> will no longer attack Gulf and neighbouring states if they are not attacking Iran appears on the surface a significant change in tactics, reflecting the overpowering diplomatic pressure Iran was under to change course, or risk uniting the whole of the Arab world against Iran. It would be an admission that Iran\u2019s current military strategy is heading for diplomatic disaster.<\/p>\n But the precise implications of his announcement remains open to interpretation. An Iranian armed forces spokesperson seemed to qualify its meaning heavily by saying:<\/p>\n double quotation markStrikes against the US and Israeli assets will continue. So far, we have targeted every base that was the origin of aggression against Iran and we remain committed to this matter. \u200cCountries that have not provided space and facilities to the United States and the Zionist regime have not been our target so far and will not be targeted in the future.<\/p>\n If the armed forces believe countries simply providing land, in terms of bases, remain legitimate targets, then effectively nothing has changed since there are US bases in almost every Gulf State. What Pezeshkian seemed to imply is that these countries will not be attacked if the US bases and airspace are not being used to attack Iran, an altogether different proposition.<\/p>\n Whether this reflects an internal disagreement, a reinterpretation of the decision taken by Pezeshkian and other members of Iran\u2019s temporary executive council or simply a more hardline way of explaining the political leadership\u2019s decision, time will tell. It is a test of where power lies in Iran in wartime.<\/p>\n But it was significant too that Pezeshkian chose to apologise and to argue Iran wanted to be on the right side of international law. Many lawyers claimed Iran\u2019s attacks on US bases in the region could be justified as acts of self-defence, but the wider attacks on Gulf infrastructure and oil installations could not.<\/p>\n If Pezeshkian\u2019s promise is translated into reality then Iran hopes the path to reunite the region and the focus can shift back to what it regards as the injustice of the US attacks in the midst of diplomacy.<\/p>\n The pressure to relent has been coming from all the Gulf states, but notably countries that have tried to be close to Iran, including Oman, Turkey and Qatar. Some of the phone conversations have been said to be seething.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.23 EST<\/p>\n Key events<\/p>\n Show key events only<\/p>\n Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature<\/p>\n IRGC says it targeted al-Dhafra airbase in UAE in ‘massive strike’ – report<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said its navy launched a \u201cmassive strike\u201d on al-Dhafra airbase in the UAE, according to Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency.<\/p>\n It claimed that a US satellite communication centre, early warning radars and fire control radars were targeted in the strike this morning.<\/p>\n The UAE has not commented on the report.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Hezbollah and Israeli troops clash on the ground in Lebanon\u2019s Bekaa valley – report<\/p>\n Lebanon\u2019s official National News Agency reported that at least 26 people were killed, including three Lebanese soldiers, during an overnight clash with Israeli forces in the town of Nabi Chit in the eastern Bekaa valley.<\/p>\n The news agency said an Israeli commando unit was spotted being deployed to the area by helicopter and confronted by local residents and armed fighters in Nabi Chit. A clash ensued with heavy gunfire and Israeli airstrikes, the agency reported.<\/p>\n Hezbollah commented earlier today that its fighters were involved, after they \u201cobserved the infiltration of four Israeli enemy army helicopters from the Syrian direction\u201d.<\/p>\n After landing, advancing troops \u201cwere engaged by a group\u201d of Hezbollah fighters as they reached the Nabi Chit cemetery, the group said.<\/p>\n The Israeli military said it had targeted Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon and the Bekaa valley overnight, but it did not comment on reports of a helicopter landing or ground operation in Nabi Chit.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pictures: Tehran and Beirut come under continued heavy Israeli strikes<\/p>\n Smoke rises following an explosion in Tehran. Photograph: Naser Safarzadeh\/ReutersA screengrab of a video shared on social media shows heavy fire and smoke in the direction of Tehran\u2019s Mehrabad airport. Photograph: Social Media\/ReutersAftermath of an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Photograph: ReutersA man inspects damage buildings after an Israeli strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs. Photograph: ReutersShare<\/a>Analysis: how should we interpret Pezeshkian’s statement? The announcement by Iran\u2019s president Masoud Pezeshkian that Iran<\/a> will no longer attack Gulf and neighbouring states if they are not attacking Iran appears on the surface a significant change in tactics, reflecting the overpowering diplomatic pressure Iran was under to change course, or risk uniting the whole of the Arab world against Iran. It would be an admission that Iran\u2019s current military strategy is heading for diplomatic disaster.<\/p>\n But the precise implications of his announcement remains open to interpretation. An Iranian armed forces spokesperson seemed to qualify its meaning heavily by saying:<\/p>\n double quotation markStrikes against the US and Israeli assets will continue. So far, we have targeted every base that was the origin of aggression against Iran and we remain committed to this matter. \u200cCountries that have not provided space and facilities to the United States and the Zionist regime have not been our target so far and will not be targeted in the future.<\/p>\n If the armed forces believe countries simply providing land, in terms of bases, remain legitimate targets, then effectively nothing has changed since there are US bases in almost every Gulf State. What Pezeshkian seemed to imply is that these countries will not be attacked if the US bases and airspace are not being used to attack Iran, an altogether different proposition.<\/p>\n Whether this reflects an internal disagreement, a reinterpretation of the decision taken by Pezeshkian and other members of Iran\u2019s temporary executive council or simply a more hardline way of explaining the political leadership\u2019s decision, time will tell. It is a test of where power lies in Iran in wartime.<\/p>\n But it was significant too that Pezeshkian chose to apologise and to argue Iran wanted to be on the right side of international law. Many lawyers claimed Iran\u2019s attacks on US bases in the region could be justified as acts of self-defence, but the wider attacks on Gulf infrastructure and oil installations could not.<\/p>\n If Pezeshkian\u2019s promise is translated into reality then Iran hopes the path to reunite the region and the focus can shift back to what it regards as the injustice of the US attacks in the midst of diplomacy.<\/p>\n The pressure to relent has been coming from all the Gulf states, but notably countries that have tried to be close to Iran, including Oman, Turkey and Qatar. Some of the phone conversations have been said to be seething.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.23 EST<\/p>\n Houthi official says Iran-backed militia ready to join war – report<\/p>\n The New York Times has reported a Houthi official as saying the Iran-backed milita in Yemen is ready to join the war.<\/p>\n \u201cThe expansion of the conflict to include other countries, including Yemen, is only a matter of time, and our hands are on the trigger,\u201d Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi movement\u2019s political bureau, told the newspaper.<\/p>\n \u201cUltimately, the United States will be the biggest loser in this trajectory.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Senior Tory MP defends Badenoch after ‘hanging around’ comment<\/p>\n In the UK, a senior Conservative MP has defended party leader Kemi Badenoch after she was criticised for suggesting the British military had been \u201cjust hanging around\u201d in the Middle East as the Iran<\/a> crises deepens.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think she has anything to apologise for at all,\u201d Andrew Mitchell, a Conservative MP and former deputy foreign secretary, told Times Radio.<\/p>\n He said Badenoch had been making the point that ministers were too slow to offer support to allies.<\/p>\n Badenoch made the remark on BBC Breakfast yesterday, when she was asked whether she supported firing on Iranian missile launch sites. She responded: \u201cWhat else are our jets doing, just hanging around there?\u201d<\/p>\n Defence secretary John Healey called on her to apologise, saying it \u201cinsults the men and women of our armed forces\u201d.<\/p>\n Mitchell said: \u201cI think she was making a point that \u2026 British ministers were slow off the mark, and should have been much quicker to support the countries in the region with whom we have very deep and close relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.03 EST<\/p>\n Dubai airport ‘partially’ resumes operations<\/p>\n Following a statement from Emirates that it will resume operations, Dubai airport said it was partially resuming services.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have partially resumed operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of DXB and DWC,\u201d it posted on social media, referring to Dubai\u2019s main airport and Al Maktoum airport south-west of the city (which is also known as Dubai World Central).<\/p>\n \u201cPlease do not travel to the airport unless you have been contacted by your airline that your flight is confirmed, as schedules continue to change.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.17 EST<\/p>\n The Israel<\/a> Defense Forces (IDF) announced it has begun \u201ca broad wave of attacks\u201d against what it described as infrastructure belonging to the Iranian regime in Tehran and the central Iranian city of Isfahan.<\/p>\n Earlier, the IDF said more than 80 air force fighter jets struck \u201ckey Iranian regime military infrastructure\u201d in Tehran and central Iran<\/a> overnight.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iranian naval ship docked at Indian port, says Delhi official<\/p>\n India\u2019s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said his country has allowed an Iranian naval ship to dock at one of its ports.<\/p>\n Days after a US submarine torpedoed an Iranian warship, the Iris Dena, <\/a>in the Indian ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka, Jaishankar said another Iranian vessel requested to dock in India after reporting experiencing problems.<\/p>\n Indian news website NDTV<\/a> reported his comments at the geopolitics conference in New Delhi today, in which he outlined the sequence of events. He said:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe got a message from the Iranian side that one of the ships, which presumably was closest to our borders at that point of time, wanted to come into our port. They were reporting that they were having problems. On the 1 March, we said you can come in and it took them a few days to sail in and then they docked in Kochi. There were a lot of young cadets. When the ships had set out and when they came here, the situation was totally different.<\/p>\n They were coming in for a fleet review, and then they got in a way caught on the wrong side of events.<\/p>\n He added that the ship, the Iris Lavan, had participated in the International Fleet Review \u2013 a ceremonial event designed to showcase the maritime capabilities of the Indian navy and international partners \u2013 and the multilateral naval exercise Milan 2026 in mid to late February.<\/p>\n \u201cWe approached the situation from the point of view of humanity, other than whatever the legal issues were and I think we did the right thing,\u2019 Jaishankar said.<\/p>\n A third Iranian ship, the Iris Bushehr, which is also believed to have taken part in the fleet review, was granted permission to dock in Sri Lanka<\/a>, where authorities took custody of the vessel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.56 EST<\/p>\n Saudi and Pakistani officials discuss Iranian attacks<\/p>\n Saudi Arabia\u2019s defence minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with Pakistan\u2019s army chief Gen Syed Asim Munir in Saudi Arabia to discuss Iranian drone and missile attacks and the \u201cjoint measures needed to halt them\u201d.<\/p>\n Both countries signed a mutual defence pact <\/a>last year, which officials said at the time stipulated that \u201cany aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both\u201d.<\/p>\n In a statement posted on X, the Pakistani armed forces said:<\/p>\n double quotation markBoth sides expressed hope and desire that brotherly country Iran would manifest prudence and sagacity to avoid any miscalculation and strengthen the hands of friendly countries seeking peaceful settlement of the crisis.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.32 EST<\/p>\n Emirates says it will resume operations<\/p>\n Emirates said it will resume operations after announcing it was temporarily suspending flights to and from Dubai just moments earlier.<\/p>\n In a new statement, the airline said<\/a>:<\/p>\n double quotation markEmirates will resume operations. Passengers who have confirmed bookings for this afternoon\u2019s flights may proceed to the airport. This includes customers transiting in Dubai, if their connecting flight is also operating.<\/p>\n Emirates continues to monitor the situation, and we will develop our operational schedule accordingly.<\/p>\n The AFP news agency reported that the announcements came after the aerial interception of an object near the airport, with a witness saying they heard a loud explosion followed by a cloud of smoke.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Interim summary<\/p>\n If you\u2019re just joining us, here\u2019s where things stand as the US-Israeli war on Iran intensifies as it moves into its second week.<\/p>\n The Israeli military said more than 80 air force fighter jets struck \u201ckey Iranian regime military infrastructure\u201d in Tehran and central Iran on Saturday, after saying it was moving to a new phase of its offensive. Israeli warplanes also hammered Beirut after ordering an unprecedented evacuation of the city\u2019s southern suburbs.<\/p>\n Gulf countries said they intercepted more ballistic missiles and drones on Saturday as Iran launched another wave of retaliatory strikes. The United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia all reported fresh attacks.<\/p>\n Donald Trump said that only Tehran\u2019s \u201cunconditional surrender\u201d <\/a>would stop the war. Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian later said the US demand was a \u201cdream that they should to take to their grave\u201d. He also apologised for Iran\u2019s attacks on regional countries, insisting Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication.<\/p>\n The US state department approved the sale of $151.8m worth of munitions to Israel<\/a> on Friday.<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards said it had targeted \u201cseparatist groups\u201d in Iraq\u2019s Kurdistan region.<\/p>\n Arab League foreign ministers will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss Iranian attacks on several of the group\u2019s members, a news report said.<\/p>\n Clashes erupted as Israeli forces attempted a landing operation along the Lebanon-Syria border, with Hezbollah saying its fighters were involved, Lebanese official media reported on Saturday.<\/p>\n Mehrabad airport in Tehran had been struck early on Saturday, Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported.<\/p>\n Explosions were heard in Israel on Friday as its defences activated to shoot down incoming Iranian fire.<\/p>\n Trump said he must have a say in selecting Iran\u2019s new supreme leader. Iran\u2019s UN ambassador later said the new leadership would be chosen \u201cwithout any foreign interference\u201d.<\/p>\n Russia has been sharing intelligence with Iran about US targets in the region, according to news reports. In response US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said the US was \u201cnot concerned\u201d and was \u201ctracking everything\u201d and factoring it into battle plans.<\/p>\n Oil prices hit their highest prices in years with the critical shipping lane of the strait of Hormuz effectively closed down. Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.41 EST<\/p>\n Arab League to meet over Iranian attacks<\/p>\n The foreign ministers of the Arab League will hold an emergency meeting on Sunday to discuss Iranian attacks on several of the group\u2019s members, says a news report citing the bloc\u2019s assistant secretary general.<\/p>\n The meeting \u2013 to be held via videoconference \u2013 was requested by Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Egypt, Hossam Zaki told Agence France-Presse.<\/p>\n The report came shortly before the Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian was quoted as saying <\/a>he apologises to neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n The huge US-Israeli air campaign launched against Iran a week ago on Saturday 28 February has prompted Iranian retaliation with strikes against Israel<\/a> and Gulf countries.<\/p>\n Arab League secretary general Ahmed Aboul Gheit has condemned the Iranian attacks, saying they are \u201cfully reprehensible\u201d and \u201cnot only a blatant violation of international law and the UN charter, but also an assault on the principles of good neighbourliness\u201d.<\/p>\n He added that the attacks \u201ccreate an unprecedented state of hostility between Iran and its Arab neighbours\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iranian president says unconditional surrender a ‘dream’<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s president has said a demand by the US for an unconditional surrender is a \u201cdream that they should to take to their grave\u201d.<\/p>\n Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a prerecorded address aired by state television on Saturday.<\/p>\n He also apologised for Iran\u2019s attacks on regional countries \u2013 as just reported<\/a> \u2013 insisting that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks.<\/p>\n The comments, cited by the Associated Press, came as intense Iranian fire targeted the Gulf Arab states early on Saturday while Israel<\/a> and the US kept up their airstrikes targeting Iran.<\/p>\n There were repeated attacks on Saturday morning on Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n Donald Trump earlier said that only Iran\u2019s \u201cunconditional surrender\u201d<\/a> would bring an end to the offensive launched a week ago.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.41 EST<\/p>\n Iranian president apologises to neighbouring countries<\/p>\n The Iranian president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has just been quoted as saying he apologises to neighbouring countries.<\/p>\n \u201cI apologise \u2026 to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran,\u201d Pezeshkian said, in a speech broadcast by state TV and reported by AFP.<\/p>\n He also said Iran\u2019s interim leadership council had approved that no attacks or missile strikes would be carried out against neighbouring countries unless an attack against Iran originated from those countries, Reuters is reporting.<\/p>\n The comments come after Iran has targeted Gulf countries hosting US forces with waves of retaliatory missile and drone strikes since the US-Israeli attacks began last Saturday.<\/p>\n Masoud Pezeshkian in February. Photograph: Anadolu\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.08 EST<\/p>\n Emirates suspends all flights to and from Dubai<\/p>\n Emirates has just said it is suspending all flights to and from Dubai until further notice.<\/p>\n The airline also said in the post on X<\/a>:<\/p>\n double quotation markPlease do not go to the airport. Emirates will share updates when available.<\/p>\n UAE-based airline Emirates says it is suspending all flights to and from Dubai until further notice. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.53 EST<\/p>\n Iran targets ‘separatist groups’ in Iraq\u2019s Kurdistan<\/p>\n Iran\u2019s Revolutionary Guards say they have targeted \u201cseparatist groups\u201d in Iraq\u2019s Kurdistan region.<\/p>\n \u201cThree locations of separatist groups in the Iraqi region [of Kurdistan] were hit \u2026 this morning,\u201d the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Saturday in a statement carried by Iran\u2019s semi-official Tasnim news agency.<\/p>\n The statement also said:<\/p>\n double quotation markIf separatist groups in the region [of Kurdistan] make any move against Iran\u2019s territorial integrity, we will crush them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a002.35 EST<\/p>\n Israel says 80 jets hit Iranian military sites<\/p>\n The Israeli military has just said more than 80 air force fighter jets have struck \u201ckey Iranian regime military infrastructure\u201d in Tehran and central Iran.<\/p>\n It said the targets included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\u2019 Imam Hossein military university in the Iranian capital, which it said was \u201cused for IRGC officer training and assembly compound\u201d.<\/p>\n The Israel Defense Forces also said in the post on X<\/a> that it targeted ballistic missile storage facilities and underground missile command infrastructure, as well as launch sites in western and central Iran that it claimed were aimed at Israel.<\/p>\n The post continued:<\/p>\n double quotation markThese strikes degrade the Iranian regime\u2019s ability to fire at Israeli civilians.<\/p>\n \u2b55\ufe0fOver 80 IAF fighter jets struck key Iranian regime military infrastructure in Tehran and central Iran.<\/p>\n Targets included: \u2014 Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n The Israeli military said earlier on Saturday it had launched fresh \u201cbroad-scale\u201d strikes<\/a> on targets in Tehran.<\/p>\nPatrick Wintour<\/p>\n
With news agencies<\/p>\n
\u2022 IRGC Imam Hossein military university\u2014used for IRGC officer training and assembly compound
\u2022 Ballistic missile storage facilities
\u2022 Underground\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/n9oz3mjxF1<\/a><\/p>\n