Here are the latest events in the Middle East war on Saturday:
‘Bad behavior’
President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday the United States would hit Iran “very hard” and threatened to expand strikes to include new targets.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard!” Trump posted on his Truth Social media platform.
“Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”
Jordan, UAE accusations
Jordan accused Iran of targeting key sites while the United Arab Emirates said it intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones on Saturday.
Jordanian military spokesman Brigadier General Mustafa Hayari said 108 of the Iranian projectiles had been intercepted.
UAE’s defence ministry said air defence systems on Saturday “detected… 16 ballistic missiles, of which, 15 were intercepted and destroyed” and one fell into the sea.
“Air defence systems also detected 121 UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), of which 119 were intercepted, while two fell within the territory of the UAE.”
Lebanon warned
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Ketz warned Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah or “pay a very heavy price”, as the Israeli army told residents of a district in Tyre to evacuate before strikes.
Lebanon’s army said three soldiers were killed in Israeli shelling during commando operations in the country’s east.
Sirens in Jerusalem
Explosions were heard and air raid sirens sounded in Jerusalem on Saturday, AFP journalists said.
At least three explosions were heard, while over the past 24 hours at least six air raid alerts have been issued across Israel.
Missing aviator
Israel’s military said Saturday it had carried out an operation in Lebanon to find remains of airman Ron Arad, but failed to uncover any trace of the navigator missing since 1986.
New strikes on Tehran
Israel began a new wave of air strikes on the Iranian cities of Tehran and Isfahan Saturday after an overnight blitz that involved 80 fighter jets.
Israel’s military earlier said jets hit an academy of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards which “was being used as an emergency asset”.
Israeli and US attacks on the central province of Isfahan killed at least eight people on Saturday, a provincial official said.
Hezbollah sites hit
Israel’s military said Saturday it had struck Hezbollah targets in Lebanon’s south and east, killing commanders from the Lebanese armed group, and hitting military sites including command centres.
The Israeli military said it had “completed an additional wave of strikes targeting rocket launchers, weapons storage facilities, and additional military sites belonging to the Hezbollah terrorist organisation in various areas in southern Lebanon and in the Beqaa valley”.
Dubai airport reopens
Dubai airport, the world’s busiest for international traffic, suspended operations Saturday before partially resuming services, after an air defence interception in the area during attacks from Iran.
“We have partially resumed operations from today, 7 March, with some flights operating out of DXB and DWC,” it said, referring to Dubai’s main airport as well as the city’s Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International.
Saudi warning
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman urged Iran to “avoid miscalculation” on Saturday, following missile and drone launches against the kingdom.
In a series of statements, the Saudi defence ministry said it had thwarted repeated missile launches at an air base which houses US military personnel and drone attacks at a major oil field.
‘To their graves’
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that his country will not surrender to Israel and the United States.
“The enemies must take their wish for the surrender of the Iranian people to their graves,” said Pezeshkian.
He apologised to neighbouring countries for Iran’s attacks, adding “no more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries.”
Oil tanker targeted
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they had targeted an oil tanker in the Gulf in their conflict with Israel and the United States.
“This morning, an oil tanker with the trade name Prima was hit by an exploding drone after ignoring repeated warnings from the IRGC naval forces regarding the prohibition of traffic and the insecurity of the Strait of Hormuz,” the Guards said in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.
The Guards earlier said they were “waiting” for US forces to escort ships through the strait.
‘Crush them’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Saturday they have targeted three locations of “separatist groups” in Iraq’s Kurdistan region.
“If separatist groups in the region (of Kurdistan) make any move against Iran’s territorial integrity, we will crush them,” said the Guards in a statement carried by Tasnim news agency.
Iran’s army said Saturday its navy had launched a wave of drone attacks targeting Israel as well as US bases in the UAE and Kuwait.
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