Explosions and air attacks continued across Iran and the wider region on March 7, 2026, as the US-Israel campaign against Tehran and Iran’s retaliatory strikes entered their second week.
Iranian state and local media reported blasts in several Tehran districts and damage nationwide, including heavy harm to two hospitals in Khuzestan province — the Razi medical center in Ahvaz and the Imam Ali hospital in Andimeshk — though independent verification was not available. A provincial official in Isfahan reported eight civilian deaths. Tehran’s Mehrabad domestic airport, within city limits, was also struck and shown on fire in footage circulated by news agencies.
President Masoud Pezeshkian, one of three members of an interim leadership council governing Iran after the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, delivered a prerecorded address on state television. He vowed Iran would “never surrender” to Israel or the United States and dismissed calls for unconditional Iranian capitulation as a “dream they should take to their grave.” At the same time, Pezeshkian apologized to neighbouring countries that had been hit by Iranian strikes, saying they would not be targeted unless attacks originated from their territory.
Iran has launched missile and drone strikes against Israel and US interests across the region, with strikes reported to have affected Gulf states including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Journalists reported blasts in Dubai and Manama, and Saudi authorities said they intercepted missiles and downed multiple drones targeting military and energy infrastructure, including the Shaybah oil field and Prince Sultan Air Base. Israel reported intercepting fresh missile attacks and said its air defenses were operating; sirens sounded in several Israeli population centers but no immediate casualties were reported.
The conflict has seen cross-border strikes and operations beyond Iran. Israel said it struck Hezbollah targets in southern and eastern Lebanon, claiming to have hit command centers and commanders. In the Indian Ocean, the US struck and sank the Iranian frigate Dena off Sri Lanka on March 5, a strike Tehran says killed dozens; Indian officials confirmed an Iranian naval vessel, IRIS Lavan, docked in Kochi after seeking assistance, a move Delhi described as a humanitarian gesture. Another Iranian ship, IRIS Bushehr, sought help from Sri Lanka after the Dena attack.
Global responses and wider alignments were visible. Russian President Vladimir Putin called for an immediate halt to hostilities in a conversation with Pezeshkian, expressing condolences over Khamenei’s death and urging a return to diplomacy. Meanwhile, US and Western officials have said Russia has provided Iran with intelligence that could assist strikes on US forces in the region, according to reporting by AP and the Washington Post citing unnamed sources; the White House downplayed the reports but said it was tracking all developments.
Washington has continued strong support for Israel. The US State Department approved an emergency weapons sale to Israel worth $151.8 million for 12,000 BLU-110A/B 1,000-pound bomb bodies and associated support, invoking emergency authority to bypass standard congressional review. US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in media remarks, suggested larger military operations were planned, with comments that the US would inflict heavy damage on Iranian missile launchers and production facilities. Reports also surfaced that President Donald Trump privately expressed interest in deploying a small contingent of US ground troops to Iran for “specific strategic purposes,” though White House spokespeople said the reporting relied on unnamed sources not part of the national security team.
Amid the fighting, movement at key civilian infrastructure caused disruption: Dubai International and Al Maktoum airports partially resumed operations after temporary suspensions linked to aerial interceptions; authorities urged passengers to check with carriers. In Tehran, the domestic Mehrabad Airport — opened in 1938 and normally handling domestic flights — sustained damage in the latest strikes.
The conflict has escalated concerns about broader regional and international fallout, with Gulf states warning against further escalation and Russia signaling calls for a ceasefire even as reports indicate Moscow may be supplying Iran with information and matériel ties that have deepened since Moscow began using Iranian drones in its war against Ukraine. As exchanges of fire and airstrikes continued, officials and civilians across several states faced air raid alerts, interceptions and the knock-on humanitarian effects of combat near populated areas.