Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue the war against Iran, saying Israel had a “systematic plan to eradicate the Iranian regime,” as Tehran insisted it would not surrender.
In a televised address, Netanyahu said Israel would pursue the conflict “with all our force,” signalling that military operations would continue despite growing regional tensions.
The statement came as Iran launched waves of missiles and drones targeting several countries in the Gulf region, escalating fears of a wider Middle East conflict.
Israel and the United States carried out fresh air strikes on Iranian targets, including attacks that reportedly set Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport on fire and struck an oil depot.
According to Israeli authorities, the raids also targeted a military academy, an underground command centre and a missile storage facility.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had struck the U.S. naval base at Juffair in Bahrain, claiming the base had been used earlier to launch an attack on an Iranian desalination facility.
Air raid sirens and explosions were reported in several cities across the region, including Jerusalem in Israel and Doha in Qatar.
The United Arab Emirates said its air defence systems intercepted 15 missiles and 119 drones on Saturday morning. Video footage circulating online appeared to show a projectile crashing at Dubai airport.
Explosions were also reported in Baghdad, Erbil and Dubai, while Saudi Arabia said it had detected an attack targeting its territory.
Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei said evidence suggested that some countries in the region were allowing their territory to be used by Iran’s enemies.
“The heavy attacks on these targets will continue,” Ejei said.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring countries hosting U.S. military bases while maintaining a defiant stance against international pressure.
In a speech, Pezeshkian rejected calls by U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran’s unconditional surrender.
“Iran’s enemies must take their wish for the unconditional surrender of the Iranian people to their graves,” the president said.
Israeli officials said the country had achieved near-total control of the skies over Tehran following the latest wave of air strikes.
Netanyahu’s remarks were echoed by Trump, who earlier posted on his Truth Social platform that Iran would be hit “very hard.”
The U.S. president also repeated claims that Iran had been close to developing a nuclear weapon, saying military action had prevented a potential threat.
The war, now entering its second week, began after joint Israeli and U.S. air strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Since then, the conflict has spread beyond Iran and Israel to include Lebanon and several other countries across the Middle East.
Residents in Tehran reported increasing anxiety as repeated air strikes damaged infrastructure and residential areas.
Iran’s health ministry said civilian casualties had reached 926 with around 6,000 people injured, though the figures could not be independently verified.
Meanwhile, Israel has intensified air strikes in Lebanon, particularly in areas where the Iran-backed Hezbollah group operates.
Lebanon’s health ministry said at least 294 people have been killed in Israeli strikes over the past week.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that the country could face a “humanitarian disaster” if the violence continues. [KNT]
