Iran president apologizes for attacks on neighbors, mocks Trump’s call for ‘unconditional surrender'

Israel warned Iran on Sunday that it "will not hesitate to target" anyone who participates in the session to select a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a joint attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Feb. 28.

Col. Avichay Adraee, a spokesperson for the Israeli Defense Forces to the Arab media, posted the following warning to X on Sunday:

"After the elimination of the tyrant Khamenei, the Iranian terrorist regime is attempting to regroup and select a new leader, as it is expected that the Iranian Assembly of Experts, which has not convened for forty years, will meet soon in the city of Qom.

"I would like to emphasize that the long arm of the State of Israel will continue to pursue the Caliph and everyone who attempts to appoint him. We warn everyone planning to participate in the session to select the Caliph: We will not hesitate to target you as well."

Fox News' Yonat Friling contributed to this report.

The Israel Defense Forces said it struck F-14 fighter jets Saturday that were being stored at an airport in Isfahan, Iran.

The military said it also destroyed 16 aircraft used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran.

The strikes were part of Israel’s effort to further its air force’s aerial superiority in Iran, the military said.

The Israel Defense Forces said early Sunday that it launched a new wave of attacks across Iran, targeting Iranian regime infrastructure.

Shortly after the announcement, the military said missiles had been launched from Iran toward Israel and that Israeli defense systems were “operating to intercept the threat.”

Exiled Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi said Saturday that the Islamic Republic is "crumbling" and that Iranians are ready to reclaim their country one week after U.S. and Israeli military operations rocked the regime.

The operations, which began last week, resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and nearly 50 other regime figures, creating what Pahlavi described as a pivotal moment for change.

"The situation on the ground is the fact that people obviously were waiting for an opportunity to get back to the streets to take their country back. We see more and more elements of the regime crumbling. A lot of people at home are ready to step in and this is exactly what will be required for a successful and stable transition," he said during a Fox News appearance on "My View" with Lara Trump.

Following the supreme leader’s death, Pahlavi said the Iranian people will not accept any outcome tied to the current regime.

"Only a clean break will ensure that not only we achieve a democratic solution and alternative to this regime, but there will be people who are not in any form or shape directly associated with this regime," he said.

Pahlavi, the son of the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, has called for a transition of power from theocracy to democracy and said he would help guide that transition, facilitated by a coalition of forces, including people inside Iran and members of the country’s military.

This is an excerpt of an article by Michael Sinkewicz.

Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said Sunday that two members of its General Department of Land Border Security had died.

The ministry identified them as Lt. Col. Abdullah Emad Al-Sharrah and Maj. Fahd Abdulaziz Al-Mujammad.

The ministry said they died “while performing their national duty.”

An NYPD officer died after suffering a medical emergency while deployed to Kuwait as part of Operation Epic Fury, the department said.

Police Officer Sorffly Davius passed away Friday, the department confirmed.

Officer Davius served in the 42nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army National Guard, achieving the rank of major. He joined the NYPD in 2014 and was assigned to the 79th Precinct.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released a statement calling Davius a “dedicated NYPD officer and decorated Army veteran” who “spent his career protecting others.”

Hochul said Davius served on Joint Task Force Empire Shield, “defending the state’s most high-profile locations from threats,” before he was deployed overseas.

“His life is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary sacrifices made by our National Guard members, who balance their roles as citizens, first responders and soldiers,” Hochul said. “Major Davius was a devoted husband and father. I personally conveyed my deepest condolences to his wife and will keep his family, colleagues and all who knew him in my thoughts. We continue to pray for the safety of every service member and first responder protecting us at home and abroad.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a joint statement that Davius was a dedicated public servant.

“His career was defined by service — to his country and to New York City,” they said.

“Our thoughts are with Officer Davius and his entire family as they mourn his loss. May his memory be a blessing.”

The Israel Defense Forces said Saturday it carried out a precision strike targeting commanders from the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) operating in a Beirut hotel.

According to the IDF, the commanders were working to advance terror plots against Israel from Lebanese territory.

The military said the Quds Force’s Lebanon Corps acts as a liaison between Iran’s IRGC and the Hezbollah terror organization, supporting Hezbollah’s military buildup.

The IDF said it took steps to minimize civilian casualties before the strike, including the use of precision munitions and aerial surveillance.

“Prior to the strike, steps were taken to minimize the chance of harm to civilians,” the military said.

Israel added that it will continue targeting Iranian commanders operating in the region.

Two fuel depots at Kuwait International Airport were struck in a drone attack, sparking a large fire at one of the facilities, according to Kuwait’s Public Authority for Civil Aviation.

The authority said the depots came under attack Saturday, with the strike causing “a huge fire” at one of the sites.

Officials did not immediately say who was responsible for the attack or whether there were any casualties.

The development comes as drone and missile attacks have continued across the region amid the escalating conflict involving Iran and U.S.- and Israeli-backed forces.

U.S. Central Command pushed back Saturday on claims from Iran’s mission to the United Nations that Tehran has only targeted military sites during its attacks across the Middle East.

In a post on X, CENTCOM said the Iranian regime’s assertion that civilian strikes were the result of missiles being diverted by U.S. defenses was false.

“The Iranian regime recently claimed… that it has only tried to target military sites, and that its missiles and drones were thrown off course by U.S. Jedi mind tricks. LIE,” CENTCOM wrote.

The command said U.S. forces and regional partners have been working to defend against what it described as Iran’s “deliberate, indiscriminate and irresponsible targeting of civilian airports, hotels and residential neighborhoods.”

CENTCOM added that U.S. forces are continuing to operate alongside partners in the region to counter Iranian missile and drone attacks.

Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson reported Saturday that Israeli forces struck Iranian oil refineries outside Tehran as the war with Iran continues to escalate.

Reporting from Dubai, Tomlinson said U.S. and Israeli forces are conducting strike operations at a pace comparable to the coalition’s air campaign during the Gulf War.

Part of the reason Israel has been able to sustain the long-range operations, roughly the distance from New York to Minneapolis, is the presence of about 100 U.S. Air Force aerial refueling aircraft in theater, Tomlinson said.

The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has moved from the eastern Mediterranean through the Suez Canal into the Red Sea, while the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group remains in the Arabian Sea.

The USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group is preparing to deploy from Norfolk, potentially bringing three U.S. carrier groups into the region for a period of time.

The United Arab Emirates has been heavily targeted by Iranian missile and drone attacks, with more than 40% of Iran’s launches directed at the UAE.

The White House on Saturday honored the six U.S. service members killed while supporting Operation Epic Fury, sharing images from the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base.

“The six fallen warriors represent the very best of America, giving everything in service to our country,” the White House wrote in a post on X.

“Their service and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

The post added: “Freedom is never free. May God bless them, their families, and the United States of America.”

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth attended the solemn event alongside other members of the cabinet honoring the fallen service members.

One week into the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, two Republican senators on the Senate Armed Services Committee say the military operation has "degraded" Tehran's ability to strike back.

But in exclusive interviews with Fox News Digital, Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ted Budd of North Carolina emphasized the fighting will not lead to U.S. involvement in "forever wars" in the volatile Middle East.

"Our military is doing a great job," Scott said. Pointing to Iran, he added, "They want to destroy America. We've got to stop them."

Budd and Scott spoke while attending an economic conference in Florida hosted by the Club for Growth, an influential and politically potent conservative group that pushes for fiscal responsibility.

President Donald Trump, who called for Iran's "unconditional surrender," said Saturday that Tehran will be "hit very hard" and warned the U.S. is considering "areas and groups" not previously considered as targets.

Over the past week, Operation Epic Fury has widened in scope as Iran has retaliated against a growing number of nations in the region. This week, the Republican-controlled House and Senate, in separate votes nearly entirely along party lines, rejected moves by Democrats to restrict the president's ability to steer the fighting.

The president said Thursday in an interview with Axios he should be involved in choosing Iran's next leader. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial strikes against Iran a week ago.

And there are concerns among many on the right that the strikes against Iran could lead to prolonged American military involvement in the region, which Trump has repeatedly campaigned against during his three runs for the presidency.

"Trump doesn't want to be in forever wars. Every time I've talked to him, he doesn't want that," Scott said. "But I think what we do want to make sure we don't have another Ayatollah that wants to ... chant ‘Death to America’ and ‘death to our allies’ and try to destroy us."

Budd added that "we’re not up for forever wars. We want to get in, get this thing done, get out and have peace for our country and the rest of the region."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Paul Steinhauser.

Video captured by The Associated Press shows large explosions and plumes of smoke rising above Tehran Saturday night as the conflict between Iran and U.S.-Israeli forces continues.

Clips taken show flashes in the sky followed by thick columns of smoke billowing over parts of the Iranian capital.

The strikes come as military operations targeting Iranian military and infrastructure sites have intensified in recent days under Operation Epic Fury.

Explosions and fires have been reported across Tehran as airstrikes hit key targets in and around the city.

Earlier Saturday, President Donald Trump warned that Iran would “be hit very hard” as the campaign against the regime’s military capabilities continues.

President Donald Trump explained what he means by Iran’s “unconditional surrender” during a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One.

When asked what surrender would look like, Trump said it would come when Iran can no longer continue fighting.

“It’s where they cry uncle or when they can’t fight any longer,” Trump said.

He added that the outcome could also come if Iran’s leadership and military capabilities are eliminated.

“There's nobody around to cry uncle. That could happen, too, because, you know we've wiped their leadership numerous times already,” Trump said.

“So it's if they surrender or, if there is nobody around to surrender, but they're rendered useless in terms of military.”

A spokesperson for Vice President JD Vance pushed back Saturday on an ABC News report suggesting Vance has been deliberately keeping a low profile since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

“This is ridiculous,” Vance communications director William Martin wrote on X.

Martin was responding to ABC News correspondent Selina Wang, who wrote that Vance had been “noticeably absent” from a presidential summit in Florida and appeared to be maintaining a lower public profile during the war with Iran.

Martin said Vance had been attending the dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base for six U.S. service members killed while supporting operations overseas.

“The Vice President wasn’t keeping a low profile, he was just at Dover Air Force Base paying respects to six American heroes killed overseas,” Martin wrote.

He added that Vance had also appeared on primetime television since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

U.S. Central Command on Saturday released video showing American fighter jets launching from and landing on a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier as Operation Epic Fury continues.

The short video, posted to X with the caption “American-made firepower,” shows carrier-based fighter aircraft taking off and recovering on the flight deck at sea.

The clip showcases the U.S. Navy’s carrier strike capabilities as American forces continue military operations against Iran across the region.

CENTCOM has said U.S. forces are continuing to strike Iranian military targets and degrade the regime’s naval and missile capabilities.

President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States no longer needs British military support in the Middle East after what he described as decisive battlefield success against Iran.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the United Kingdom was “finally giving serious thought to sending two aircraft carriers to the Middle East,” but suggested the move was coming too late.

“That’s OK, Prime Minister Starmer, we don’t need them any longer — But we will remember,” Trump wrote.

“We don’t need people that join Wars after we’ve already won!” he added.

The Pentagon issued a stark warning Saturday following the deaths of six U.S. service members killed during Operation Epic Fury.

“If you kill Americans, if you threaten Americans anywhere on earth, we will hunt you down without apology and without hesitation and we will kill you,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a statement shared by the Department of War.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell echoed the message on X, writing that “the biggest mistake anyone can make is killing an American.”

“We will hunt you down and avenge our fallen. That’s a promise,” Parnell said.

The remarks come as the U.S. mourns the six service members killed March 1 in a drone attack in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, while supporting Operation Epic Fury.