US President Donald Trump said on Friday that Iran had apologised and “surrendered” to its Middle East neighbours and warned that the country would be “hit very hard” later in the day, as fighting between Iran, Israel and US forces continues to intensify.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that Iran had promised it would stop firing at neighbouring countries after what he described as “relentless U.S. and Israeli attack”.
“Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologised and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore,” Trump wrote. “This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack.”
Trump also said Iran was no longer the “Bully of the Middle East,” describing it instead as “THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST”.
The US president added that Iran could face further military escalation, saying additional targets were being considered.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard,” Trump wrote. “Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death… are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time.”
Iran signals conditional halt to attacks on neighbours
Trump’s comments came hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran’s interim leadership council had approved stopping attacks on neighbouring countries unless attacks on Iran originated from their territory.
Pezeshkian made the remarks in a prerecorded message released earlier on Friday.
The statement was followed by a warning from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which said all US and Israeli military bases and interests would be considered “primary targets” if attacks on Iran continue.
Casualties mount as strikes continue
The Iranian Red Crescent said at least 1,332 people in Iran have been killed in US-Israeli attacks since Saturday.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had launched the 23rd wave of missile strikes against Israel. The Israeli military said its air defence systems were intercepting missiles fired from Iran.
Israel’s army said it had hit more than 400 targets inside Iran on Friday, including ballistic missile launchers and facilities used to store unmanned aerial vehicles.
US outlines war objectives
The White House said the United States was moving toward control of Iranian airspace.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Washington expects its objectives in the campaign to be achieved within four to six weeks.
Trump has also set maximalist war goals for negotiations with Tehran, saying any deal with Iran must result in the country’s “unconditional surrender”.
Regional tensions expand beyond Iran
The conflict has widened across the region.
Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at two locations in northern Israel in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.
Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes in the country since Monday have killed 217 people and wounded 798.
The Norwegian Refugee Council estimated that around 300,000 people have been displaced in less than 100 hours since Israel launched air strikes across southern Lebanon, Beirut and other areas.
Energy and economic risks flagged
Qatar’s Energy Minister Saad al-Kaabi warned that the war could have global economic consequences.
The ongoing conflict could “bring down the economies of the world”, he said, warning that Gulf energy exporters may shut down production within weeks if the war continues.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route for oil and liquefied natural gas, has already faced severe disruption amid the escalating hostilities.
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