Washington/Tehran, March 6, 2026: Donald Trump on Friday demanded the “unconditional surrender” of Iran and ruled out any negotiations, marking a sharp escalation in the week-long conflict launched by the United States and Israel against Tehran.
In posts on social media, Trump said the conflict would continue until Iran capitulates and its leadership structure is replaced. He added that after Iran’s surrender and the “selection of a great and acceptable leader,” the US and its allies would work to rebuild the country economically.
The remarks came hours after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian revealed that several countries had begun mediation efforts to end the escalating war.
“Some countries have begun efforts at mediation,” Pezeshkian wrote on X, adding that Iran remained committed to peace but would firmly defend its sovereignty and dignity.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces expanded military operations across the region, launching heavy air strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut—a stronghold of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah—after ordering residents to evacuate the area.
Explosions lit up the night sky as the Israeli military said it conducted 26 waves of overnight strikes, targeting Hezbollah command centres and weapons storage facilities.
At the same time, Israel carried out a large-scale aerial campaign against infrastructure in Tehran. Israeli officials said around 50 warplanes struck a bunker beneath a compound previously used by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed on the first day of the conflict.
Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli and US-linked sites across the region.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it launched Kheibar missiles toward Tel Aviv as part of the 21st wave of “Operation True Promise 4.” Iranian officials said the operation involved combined missile and drone attacks aimed at strategic targets in central Israel.
Iran also launched drone strikes targeting the Al Udeid Air Base—the largest US military facility in the Middle East—though Qatari officials said no casualties were reported.
According to the IRGC, additional strikes targeted the Ramat David air base in Israel, a US facility at Al-Adiri camp in Kuwait, and a base hosting US troops in Erbil.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh described the confrontation as an “existential war” for Iran.
“This was an existential war for Iran, leaving us with no choice but to respond wherever American attacks originate from,” he said during remarks at the Raisina Dialogue.
The war has increasingly spilled across the Middle East and beyond. Hezbollah warned Israeli residents living within five kilometres of the Lebanese border to evacuate, saying Israeli attacks on Lebanon would “not go unchallenged.”
Elsewhere, tensions also rose between Iran and Azerbaijan after Baku said four Iranian drones crossed its border and injured civilians in the Nakhchivan exclave. Iran denied responsibility for the incident.
In a separate development, a US submarine sank an Iranian naval vessel off the coast of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. The ship had reportedly been heading to India to participate in an international naval fleet review. Reports indicated that about 87 sailors were killed in the attack.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, at least 1,230 people have been killed in Iran since the conflict began a week ago. The organisation also reported that more than 3,600 civilian sites, including homes, medical facilities and commercial centres, had been damaged by US-Israeli strikes.
In Lebanon, the health ministry reported over 120 deaths and nearly 700 injuries following Israeli air strikes this week, while thousands of residents have fled southern Beirut amid escalating bombardment.
Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said the campaign had entered a “new phase” aimed at dismantling Iran’s military capabilities and leadership infrastructure.
Meanwhile, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that American firepower targeting Iranian military infrastructure would “surge dramatically.”
Despite the escalation, Trump indicated that deploying US ground troops in Iran was currently unnecessary, calling it a “waste of time” while claiming Iran had already suffered major military losses.
The widening conflict has disrupted global markets, aviation routes and energy supplies. Tensions have also intensified around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of the world’s oil shipments passes.
Oil prices have surged amid fears of prolonged instability, while international shipping and air travel across the region have faced major disruptions as the war enters its second week.
