Explosions and missiles across Tehran and Israel
Explosions rocked Tehran early Saturday, sending up clouds of dark smoke, as Iran retaliated with missiles aimed at Israel. The Associated Press reported that the United States warned a forthcoming bombing campaign would be the most intense yet in the weeklong conflict.
Israel said it had begun a broad wave of strikes, and the fighting spilled beyond the immediate battle lines. Early Saturday, loud booms were heard in Jerusalem, and incoming missiles from Iran prompted people to head for bomb shelters across Israel, according to the AP report.
In Iran, Associated Press video showed explosions flashing and smoke rising over western Tehran as the missile response unfolded. There were no immediate reports of casualties by Israel’s emergency services.
U.S. endgame rhetoric and a new arms sale
The escalation came as the U.S. took steps toward Israel’s military capacity and signaled what U.S. officials described as a tightening timeline for further operations. The AP reported that Trump’s administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel after Trump said he would not negotiate with Iran without its “unconditional surrender.”
Iran’s U.N. ambassador, Amir Saeid Iravani, said in response that Iran “does not accept and will never allow any foreign power to interfere in its internal affairs,” according to the Associated Press.
The AP also reported that Trump made additional remarks on social media Friday that included “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” and said that after a surrender, the U.S. and its allies would help rebuild Iran following “the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s).” Trump’s comments, the AP said, raised questions about the war’s endgame and who would be involved in choosing future leadership.
Warning of the “biggest bombing” and Israel’s stated strike focus
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told a television interview that the “biggest bombing campaign” of the war was still to come, according to the AP report.
Israel said that over the past week it had heavily bombed an extensive underground bunker that Iranian leaders had planned to use during the hostilities. The AP report also said there were no immediate casualty figures from Israel’s emergency services at the time of the update.
Separately, the Associated Press reported new information surrounding a deadly Feb. 28 explosion at a school in Minab, a city about 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) southeast of Tehran. The AP said evidence suggested the blast was likely caused by U.S. airstrikes that also hit an adjacent compound associated with Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
Iranian state media reported that more than 165 people were killed in the Minab blast, most of them children. Iran blamed Israel and the U.S., and neither country accepted responsibility, the AP reported, adding that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. is investigating.
Hezbollah clashes reported in Lebanon, displacement grows
The AP reported fighting involving Israeli troops in eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with an Israeli force that landed late Friday in the mountains. The Lebanese Health Ministry said at least three people were killed, and Israel did not acknowledge the fighting or respond to requests for comment at the time of publication, the AP said.
Israel’s campaign also hit parts of Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah has a large presence but where civilians live. Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 217 people were killed by Israeli strikes since Monday and 798 were wounded, and the AP reported that roads in the Lebanese capital were crowded with evacuating traffic as smoke rose over southern districts. Two hospitals evacuated patients and staff, and the AP quoted Jihan Shehadeh saying, “What can we do? We prayed here under the tree.”
Gulf spillover and Saudi response
The Associated Press report described the conflict widening into the Persian Gulf. It said sirens sounded early Saturday in Bahrain as Iranian attacks targeted the island kingdom.
Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones headed toward its Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces, according to the AP.
Russia provides information to Iran, Trump speaks about leadership
The AP reported that Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region. The report cited two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence who spoke on condition of anonymity, saying the U.S. intelligence had not uncovered that Russia was directing Iran on what to do with the information.
The AP said it was the first indication that Moscow had sought to get involved in the war. It also reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had a call Friday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing condolences over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Kremlin said.
As the fighting continued, the AP said Pezeshkian wrote on social media that “some countries” had begun mediation efforts, without elaborating. It also reported that Iran’s state television said a leadership council had started discussing how to convene the country’s Assembly of Experts, which will select the new supreme leader.
In Washington, the AP reported that Trump had told media outlets he should be involved in choosing a replacement for Khamenei. The AP added that Trump spoke dismissively about Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, calling him “a lightweight,” and the AP report described that statement as a factor likely to raise further questions about who would shape Iran’s leadership after the war.