DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's president apologized Saturday for attacks on “neighboring countries," even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states and hard-liners asserted that Tehran's war strategy wouldn't budge.
A rift between more pragmatic politicians looking to de-escalate the week-old war and others committed to battling the United States and Israel could complicate efforts to end the fighting. Conflicting statements involved two of the three members of the leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the war's opening airstrikes.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that Iran would be “hit very hard" and more “areas and groups of people” would become targets, without elaborating. Already, the conflict has rattled global markets and left Iran’s leadership weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.
Along with his apology, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian dismissed Trump’s call for Tehran to surrender unconditionally, saying: “That’s a dream that they should take to their grave.”
Pezeshkian's message, seemingly filmed in a hurry, underlined the limited powers exercised by the theocracy's leaders over the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the hundreds of ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and appears to be picking its own targets.
Earlier, a wave of missiles and drones had disrupted flights at Dubai International Airport, targeted a major Saudi oil facility and sent people fleeing for cover in Bahrain.
And several hours after Pezeshkian’s apology, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain were still sounding alerts or reporting intercepted missiles.
U.S. allies in the Gulf have said the Trump administration did not give them adequate time to prepare for the war.
Iran makes varying statements on attacks
Pezeshkian’s statement said Iran's leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces over the attacks.
“I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” he said. “From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.”
The U.S. strikes haven’t been coming from the Gulf Arab governments under attack, but from U.S. bases and vessels in the region.
But hard-line judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei, another member of the three-man leadership council, suggested that war strategy will not change.
“The geography of some countries in the region — both overtly and covertly — is in the hands of the enemy, and those points are used against our country in acts of aggression. Intense attacks on these targets will continue,” he posted on X.
“As long as the presence of U.S. bases in the region continue, the countries will not enjoy peace,” Iran’s Parliament speaker and a former Revolutionary Guard general, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said on X. He called defense policies in line with the late supreme leader’s guidance.
Iran's U.N. mission later suggested, without offering evidence, that strikes on nonmilitary sites “may have resulted from interception by U.S. electronic defense systems.”
Iran's next supreme leader is yet to be named. Prominent cleric Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi urged Iran's Assembly of Experts responsible for that decision to act quickly.
US says more intense bombing lies ahead
The Trump administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel after Trump said he would not negotiate with Iran without its “unconditional surrender” and U.S. officials warned of a bombing campaign they said would be the most intense yet.
Associated Press video showed explosions over western Tehran as Israel said it carried out another wave of strikes and struck a Tehran airport it said was used to transfer weapons and cash to militant groups.
“Tehran is under severe bombardment" and even people far from military and government targets are living in fear, said a university student in western Tehran, speaking on condition of anonymity for security concerns.
The U.S. and Israel have battered Iran, targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. The war's stated goals and timelines have repeatedly shifted as the U.S. has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within.
The fighting has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 290 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. Six U.S. troops have been killed.
Incoming missiles from Iran had people heading to bomb shelters again across Israel. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Strikes target Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Dubai
Sirens sounded early Saturday in Bahrain as Iran targeted the island kingdom. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones headed toward its vast Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces.
In Dubai, several blasts were heard Saturday morning and the government said it had activated air defenses. Passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport were ushered into train tunnels.
Long-haul carrier Emirates later said all flights to and from Dubai were suspended until further notice, but then said it would resume operations.
Fighting in Lebanon kills dozens
The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with an Israeli force that landed late Friday in eastern Lebanon's mountains, and intense clashes and airstrikes lasted into Saturday.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes on Nabi Chit and nearby areas left at least 41 people dead and 40 wounded. The Lebanese army said the dead included three of its troops.
Israel did not acknowledge the fighting, and its military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Israel also has carried out waves of airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has a large presence. It is home to hundreds of thousands of civilians.
Iranian naval vessel has docked in India
India’s foreign minister said Saturday that an Iranian naval vessel has docked in India, speaking after a U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off Sri Lanka’s coast Wednesday.
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the IRIS Lavan was moored in the southern city of Kochi after India granted permission when the vessel reported “having problems” Sunday, a day after the war began.
“I think it was the humane thing to do,” Jaishankar said.
Another Iranian vessel, the IRIS Bushehr, requested assistance from Sri Lanka. The ships previously took part in naval exercises hosted by India.
Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Magdy from Cairo, Egypt. Associated Press journalists Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Amir-Hussein Radjy in Cairo, Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, and Aamer Madhani in Doral, Florida, contributed reporting.
