IRIA News

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The war between the United States, Israel, and Iran entered its seventh day on March 6, 2026, with heavy airstrikes across the region, growing civilian displacement, and widening attacks on countries hosting U.S. forces.

U.S. President Donald Trump signaled that negotiations with Iran were unlikely unless Tehran accepts what he described as “unconditional surrender,” even as the conflict expanded from Iran and Israel to Lebanon and several Gulf states.

Iran rejected ceasefire negotiations with the U.S. and said that the country is prepared for ground invasion by U.S. troops, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said. “We are waiting for them,” Araghchi said, adding that “Because we are confident that we can confront them, and that would be a big disaster for them.”

Israeli warplanes carried out large-scale bombing raids in Tehran and Beirut while Iran launched missile and drone attacks toward Israel and several Gulf countries where U.S. military bases are located.

The fighting has already spread across more than a dozen countries and is beginning to shake global energy markets and regional stability.

Officials say the war has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon, and around a dozen in Israel. Six U.S. troops have also been killed.

“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!… IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. ‘MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).’” – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/H2HKkBVkww

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 6, 2026

Trump Signals Hardline Approach

Trump made clear Friday that the United States is not currently pursuing negotiations with Tehran unless Iran capitulates. In a social media post, he said that once Iran surrenders and selects what he called “a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s),” the United States and its allies would help rebuild the country.

He wrote that Iran could become “economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.” The comments have raised questions about the ultimate objective of the war launched jointly by the United States and Israel a week ago.

The U.S. and Israel initially framed the campaign as targeting Iran’s military infrastructure and nuclear program, but public statements have increasingly hinted at broader goals, including regime change.

Earlier in the week, Trump told reporters he should have a role in choosing Iran’s next leader following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the opening strikes of the war.

He also dismissed Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, who is widely seen as a potential successor, calling him “a lightweight.”

Iranian state television reported Friday that a leadership council has begun discussing how to convene the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body responsible for selecting the next supreme leader.

The 88-member council has itself been affected by the war. Buildings linked to the group have reportedly been damaged during the U.S.-Israeli air campaign.

Heavy Strikes Accross the Region

Israel’s military said Friday it launched what it described as “a broad-scale wave of strikes” targeting Tehran and key military infrastructure. Over the past week, Israeli forces have also repeatedly bombed a large underground bunker complex believed to have been prepared by Iranian leaders as a wartime command center.

Witnesses in Tehran described intense explosions that shook buildings and sent thick columns of smoke into the sky. Additional blasts were reported near the western Iranian city of Kermanshah, an area known for housing several missile bases.

Iran is also continuing its retaliatory attacks on U.S. military bases across the Middle East and Israel. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a wave of Iranian missiles struck several cities, reportedly causing heavy damage.

The United States also continued its own military operations. Early Friday, U.S. Central Command said American forces struck an Iranian drone carrier, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri, leaving the vessel burning at sea.

The ship is a converted container vessel equipped with a 180-meter runway designed for launching drones and was unveiled by Iran in 2025.

Earlier in the week, a U.S. submarine also sank an Iranian frigate off the coast of Sri Lanka as the ship returned from a naval exercise involving the Indian navy. Sri Lanka’s navy rescued 32 crew members and recovered 87 bodies.

Iran Expands Retaliatory Attacks

Iran has responded by launching waves of missiles and drones toward Israel and toward Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases.

Several governments across the region reported intercepting projectiles on Friday. Qatar and Saudi Arabia said their air defenses stopped missiles headed toward U.S. bases on their territory.

Air raid sirens also sounded across Bahrain, where officials said Iranian strikes hit two hotels and a residential building, though no casualties were reported.

The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait reported missiles and drones passing through their airspace. Earlier in the conflict, six U.S. soldiers were killed in Kuwait.

Across the Gulf region, at least 15 civilians have been killed in attacks linked to the escalating war, including casualties reported in Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE.

Energy infrastructure is also beginning to feel the impact. Authorities in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region said production at an oil field was halted after what they described as a terrorist attack originating inside Iraq.

Lebanon Drawn Deeper into the War

Lebanon has become another major front in the conflict. Israeli warplanes carried out repeated strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, an area where the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement maintains a strong presence but which is also home to hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli attacks have killed at least 217 people and wounded nearly 800 since Monday.

The bombing has triggered a massive displacement crisis. More than 95,000 people have fled Beirut’s southern suburbs and parts of southern Lebanon after Israel issued sweeping evacuation warnings.

Roads leaving the capital were packed with vehicles as residents attempted to escape the bombardment.

“What can we do? We prayed here under the tree. During the night, we slept in the car because there was no place to stay,” said Jihan Shehadeh, one of the displaced civilians.

Hospitals in affected areas have begun evacuating patients and staff as airstrikes intensify. One strike reportedly landed near the Iranian embassy in Beirut, though Israeli officials did not immediately comment on the report.

Hezbollah’s military command urged its fighters to continue battling Israeli forces, calling on them to “defend the nation” and “kill them wherever you find them.” Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam criticized both Israel and Hezbollah, saying the Lebanese state and its people “did not choose this war.”

Global Economic Concerns Grow

Beyond the battlefield, the conflict is beginning to send shockwaves through global markets.

Qatar’s energy minister, Saad Al Kaabi, warned that the war could “bring down the economies of the world” if it disrupts energy exports from the Gulf.

He warned that a widespread shutdown of oil and gas shipments could push global oil prices as high as $150 per barrel. Energy markets are already reacting. The price of benchmark U.S. crude oil rose above $90 per barrel on Friday for the first time in more than two years.

Gasoline prices in the United States have also jumped sharply, rising 34 cents in a single week to reach a national average of $3.32 per gallon.

Signs of Possible Mediation

Despite the intensifying fighting, there are tentative indications that some countries may be attempting to mediate.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on social media that “some countries” have begun mediation efforts aimed at halting the conflict, though he did not identify which governments are involved.

The war now spans Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and several Gulf states, while intelligence and security concerns have also appeared in Europe. Police in London said four men were arrested on Friday on suspicion of spying on the Jewish community and assisting Iran.

Iran has previously been linked to attacks abroad targeting dissidents, Israelis, and Jewish institutions.