Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone conversation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to discuss ongoing regional tensions in the Middle East, according to a Kremlin statement. During the call, Putin expressed condolences over the deaths of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, his family members, and senior military officials in a joint U.S.-Israel attack.

The Kremlin said Putin emphasized the urgent need to end hostilities and return to political and diplomatic solutions, reaffirming Russia’s stance against the use of force. It also noted that Putin has been maintaining regular contact with leaders of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries as tensions in the region escalate.

According to the statement, Pezeshkian thanked Moscow for its support during the crisis and expressed gratitude for Russia’s solidarity with the Iranian people defending their sovereignty and independence. He also briefed Putin on the latest developments, and both sides agreed to continue communication through various channels.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Basent has warned that the largest airstrike ever on Iran will take place tonight. In an interview with Fox News, he said that Iran’s missile launch centers and missile production factories would be the main targets, adding that the attacks aim to render these facilities significantly inoperative. Basent also accused Tehran of attempting to create economic chaos through its control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, a major attack has already struck Mehrabad, one of Iran’s busiest airports. Social media videos showed burning aircraft and thick plumes of smoke rising from the site. Satellite images taken on Friday reportedly showed several aircraft stationed at the airport before the strike.

The developments come as tensions rise across the Middle East, with reports suggesting that US and Israeli forces have identified thousands of civilian sites in Iran as potential targets.

A major attack struck Mehrabad Airport, one of Iran’s busiest airports, on Friday. Videos circulating on social media showed planes on fire and thick plumes of smoke rising from the site. Satellite images taken the same day showed several aircraft positioned at the airport. Iranian state media confirmed that parts of the airport were hit, though it remained unclear which sections were affected. Eyewitnesses described the bombing as intense.

The incident occurred shortly after Israel’s military announced the start of a new round of large-scale airstrikes on Iran. Earlier, on March 4, Israel had also targeted the same airport, claiming the strikes aimed to destroy defense and detection systems that posed a threat to its air force, including facilities linked to helicopter production.

The renewed attacks have raised concerns about escalating hostilities between the two countries, with regional and international observers warning of potential wider instability in the Middle East.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced full readiness for a long-term war amid escalating regional conflict. Spokesperson Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Nayini said Iran is prepared for extended confrontation and will soon deploy advanced weapons not yet used in the conflict. The statement follows continued Iranian missile strikes on Israel, including attacks on Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport, and a reported strike on the Israeli embassy in Bahrain’s capital, Manama.

The United States and Israel have maintained heavy bombardments on Iranian targets, destroying missile launchers and defense systems. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that the scale of attacks on Iran will increase dramatically, while President Donald Trump ruled out sending ground troops but vowed to continue air operations. Iran’s Red Crescent reported over 1,300 deaths and thousands of damaged civilian structures since the joint assaults began. Meanwhile, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the war as a grave mistake.

Energy markets reacted sharply, with Qatar’s energy minister warning that oil prices could exceed $150 per barrel, threatening global economic stability.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghaei has criticized the United Nations for its response to recent attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. In a message posted on social media platform X, he accused both countries of carrying out an “unprovoked aggression” against Iran and called on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to fulfill the organization’s legal and moral responsibilities.

Baghaei stated that the ongoing conflict poses a major threat not only to the Middle East but also to the global economy. He urged the international community to pay attention to civilian casualties in Iran, claiming that in the past week, attacks by the US and Israel in the city of Minab killed many civilians, including 165 children and school staff.

According to the report, there was no immediate response from the United States or Israel regarding Iran’s allegations.

An Iranian military spokesperson stated that the country has no plans to close the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. However, he acknowledged that ship traffic through the waterway has significantly decreased due to the ongoing war. The statement was reported on March 7, 2026.

The spokesperson clarified that Iran will not obstruct any vessel seeking to pass through the strait but emphasized that each ship must take responsibility for its own security. At the same time, he issued a stern warning that any ship belonging to what he described as a Zionist state, referring to Israel, or to the United States would be treated as a target if it attempted to cross the strait.

The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions and reduced maritime activity, underscoring the strategic sensitivity of the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route.

A group of 660 Sunni Muslim clerics from Iran’s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan province have issued a joint statement calling for jihad against the United States and Israel. The statement, reported on March 6 by Pars Today, expressed support for Iran’s armed forces and conveyed condolences over the martyrdom of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

The clerics praised Khamenei’s lifelong efforts to uphold truth, defend Islam, and stand with oppressed people, describing him as having attained martyrdom and divine proximity. They emphasized that the current aggression by Israel and the United States represents an attack not on a specific nation or territory but on Islam and the entire Muslim community.

The statement further described resistance to such aggression as both a historical and religious duty for scholars, thinkers, and freedom-seeking Muslims worldwide.

Iranian Kurdish rebel groups based in northern Iraq have stated they are not planning any immediate cross-border attacks into Iran. However, they declared readiness to join a potential US-led ground operation should such an offensive begin. Officials from the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK) told AP that their forces would fight alongside coalition troops if a ground campaign starts, though they prefer Kurdish groups not to lead such operations.

PAK official Khalil Naderi said some of their armed members are already inside Iran and could participate in a possible uprising if conditions arise. He added that Kurdish groups maintain contact with the United States and Israel but have not received any military or material support. The statement follows reports suggesting Iranian Kurdish opposition groups in Iraq were preparing for cross-border military action.

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq clarified that its territory will not be used as a base for attacks against Iran and expressed opposition to any escalation. Analysts noted that Kurdish regions have become renewed flashpoints amid the ongoing US-Israel-Iran tensions.

Iran is moving away from its long-standing strategy of protecting its missile arsenal in underground bunkers, a plan known as the 'missile city' approach. The shift comes days after the United States and Israel launched unilateral military operations, during which Iranian underground missile bases have been repeatedly targeted. According to reports, satellite images show destroyed missiles and launchers near the entrances of several bunkers hit by airstrikes around Shiraz, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Kermanshah.

Analysts cited in the reports suggest that Iran’s reliance on underground missile silos has become less effective due to technical difficulties in reusing them. Before the conflict began, Iran reportedly dispersed some of its missiles and mobile launchers to reduce vulnerability. US and Israeli officials say ballistic missile and drone launches from Tehran have decreased since the attacks began, possibly indicating Iran’s effort to conserve its arsenal for a prolonged conflict.

Estimates of Iran’s missile stockpile vary, with figures ranging from 2,500 to 6,000 missiles before the war, reflecting uncertainty about its current capacity.

Iran has carried out missile strikes targeting bases of Kurdish armed opposition groups in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, according to the country’s state television, as reported by Al Jazeera. The attacks were directed at groups that Tehran identifies as anti-Iranian separatist organizations operating in northern Iraq.

The strikes occurred amid reports that U.S. authorities have been coordinating with Iraq-based Kurdish opposition groups. These groups have reportedly indicated a willingness to participate in the ongoing conflict against Iran. The timing of the attack suggests heightened regional tension involving Iran, Iraq’s Kurdish region, and external actors.

Further details on the scale of the strikes, casualties, or official responses from Iraq or the Kurdish regional government were not provided in the report.

U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ as the joint U.S. and Israeli offensive against Iran entered its seventh day. According to Al Jazeera, Trump made the statement in a social media post, declaring that there would be no deal with Iran and that surrender was the only path forward.

Trump further stated that he does not consider Iran’s current leadership acceptable and called for the formation of a new government in Tehran. He suggested that once new leadership is in place, the United States and its allies could assist in rebuilding Iran.

Analysts noted that Trump’s remarks could further escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran, as the term ‘unconditional surrender’ is typically associated with the final stages of war and represents a severe demand.

The United States carried out its first B-2 bomber strike on Iran since the start of the war, according to reports on Friday. The operation targeted underground ballistic missile launchers in Tehran and other Iranian cities. The US and Israel have been conducting extensive attacks across Iran for seven consecutive days, with Israel announcing the beginning of a second phase of its assault.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the intensity of the bombing campaign is set to increase dramatically. Admiral Brad Cooper, head of the US Central Command, confirmed that several B-2 stealth bombers dropped dozens of 2,000-pound penetrator bombs designed to destroy underground facilities.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, indicates a significant escalation in the conflict, with both US and Israeli forces intensifying their operations against Iranian military infrastructure.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that several countries have initiated mediation efforts, though he did not specify which nations are involved. In a social media post, he emphasized Iran’s commitment to lasting peace in the region while asserting that the country would not compromise on its dignity and sovereignty. Pezeshkian added that mediation should be directed toward those who have underestimated the Iranian people and fueled the ongoing conflict.

His remarks come at a time when Iran has been carrying out retaliatory strikes targeting U.S. bases, facilities, and energy infrastructure in neighboring Arab countries. These missile attacks have drawn angry reactions from nearby states, according to the report.

The statement highlights Iran’s dual stance of supporting regional peace while maintaining a firm defense posture amid escalating tensions.

Iran has ended its long-held policy of 'strategic patience' following coordinated US and Israeli strikes on February 28, 2026. The attacks, which also targeted Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, and Syria, prompted Tehran to demonstrate its new doctrine of 'active and unprecedented deterrence' by launching missiles and drones across the Gulf. Within days, Iran struck Kuwait, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Cyprus, signaling a major escalation in regional hostilities.

The shift follows years of managed restraint by Iran, which had relied on a network of allies including Hezbollah, the Houthis, Hamas, and the Popular Mobilisation Forces to deter aggression. However, Israeli operations against Hamas and Hezbollah leaders, the fall of Syria’s al-Assad government, and the 12-day-war in 2025 eroded Iran’s deterrence framework. The destruction of Iran’s consulate in Damascus in 2024 marked the first major breach of its restraint policy.

The latest escalation has drawn in Gulf states such as Qatar and the UAE, exposing the fragility of their balancing strategies. Regional unrest is spreading, with protests in Bahrain and Iraq, and reports of US encouragement for Kurdish offensives against Iran, suggesting a widening and destabilizing conflict across the Middle East.

Heavy airstrikes struck Tehran and several Iranian cities on the seventh day of the US-Israel war on Iran, with explosions reported across the capital and other regions. Israel’s military said it had entered a new phase of operations targeting regime infrastructure, while the US confirmed its B-2 bombers dropped dozens of penetrator bombs on buried missile launchers. Al Jazeera correspondents in Tehran described the bombardment as the most intense so far, with strikes hitting military, political, and residential areas, including near Tehran University and Pasteur Street. Iran’s Foreign Ministry reported that an elementary school in Niloufar Square was hit, and UNICEF said at least 181 children were among more than 1,300 people killed.

Attacks were also reported in Shiraz, Qom, Isfahan, and Kermanshah, with the Iranian Red Crescent confirming at least 1,332 deaths since the conflict began. Israel claimed to have destroyed missile launchers and defense systems, while the US military said Iranian targets were being “decimated.” Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged mediation directed at Washington and Tel Aviv, asserting Iran’s right to defend its sovereignty. Iran’s military later announced it had attacked a US-owned oil tanker off Kuwait’s coast.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the bombardment would intensify, signaling a possible escalation in the coming days.