Explosions rock Iran's capital, and more attacks target Israel

Explosions lit up the skies over Tehran early Saturday, sending dark plumes of smoke over the Iranian capital, as Iran retaliated with missile strikes against Israel and the United States warned that the heaviest bombing campaign of the week-long conflict was still to come.

Associated Press footage showed flashes of explosions and thick smoke rising over western Tehran as Israel said it had launched a broad new wave of airstrikes. Around the same time, the Israeli military said it was moving to intercept another salvo of missiles fired from Iran.

There were few signs of the fighting easing.

US President Donald Trump’s administration approved a fresh $151 million arms sale to Israel even as Trump insisted he would not negotiate with Iran unless it agreed to “unconditional surrender”. Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said Tehran would “take all necessary measures” to defend itself.

The conflict also appeared to widen geographically. Air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain early Saturday after an Iranian attack targeted the island kingdom. Saudi Arabia said its air defences destroyed drones heading toward the Shaybah oil field and intercepted a ballistic missile aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts US troops.

The United States and Israel have carried out extensive strikes across Iran targeting military assets, senior leadership figures and nuclear facilities. However, the stated objectives and timelines of the campaign have shifted repeatedly, with US officials at times suggesting the war could lead to regime change in Tehran.

Meanwhile, two officials familiar with US intelligence said Russia had provided Iran with information that could help Tehran target American warships, aircraft and other military assets in the region.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss intelligence matters publicly, cautioned that there was no evidence Moscow was directing Iran on how to use the information. Nevertheless, the disclosures mark the first indication that Russia may be getting involved in the conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday and expressed condolences over the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to the Kremlin.

Separately, new evidence suggested that a deadly explosion at a school in the Iranian city of Minab — which killed scores of students — may have been caused by US airstrikes that also targeted a nearby compound linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.

Iranian state media said more than 165 people, most of them children, died in the blast. Tehran has blamed both Israel and the United States, though neither country has formally accepted responsibility. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was investigating the incident.

Qatar’s energy minister Saad al-Kaabi warned that the war could have severe global economic consequences. In an interview with the Financial Times, he said the conflict could “bring down the economies of the world” if Gulf energy exports were disrupted, potentially pushing oil prices to $150 per barrel.

Benchmark US crude prices rose above $90 a barrel on Friday for the first time in more than two years.

Russia providing intelligence to Iran, officials say

Russia has supplied Iran with information that could help it strike US naval vessels, aircraft and other military assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with American intelligence assessments.

The officials said the intelligence sharing did not appear to include operational direction, but still marked a potentially significant development in the conflict.

If confirmed, it would represent the first clear sign that Moscow is seeking to play a more direct role in the war.

Trump demands Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’

Trump reiterated his hardline stance in a social media post on Friday, declaring: “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”

After such a surrender, he said, and the selection of “a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s),” the United States and its allies would help rebuild Iran and make it “economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”

The remarks were likely to intensify debate over the ultimate objective of the war.

The fighting has already killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel, according to officials in those countries. Six US soldiers have also died.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on social media that “some countries” had begun mediation efforts, though he did not provide further details.

Trump has also suggested he should play a role in selecting the next Iranian supreme leader following Khamenei’s assassination in the opening phase of the conflict. He dismissed Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei — widely seen as a possible successor — as “a lightweight”.

Iran’s UN ambassador Iravani condemned the remarks, saying Tehran “does not accept and will never allow any foreign power to interfere in its internal affairs”.

Iranian state television reported that a leadership council had begun discussions on convening the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body tasked with selecting the country’s next supreme leader.

US warns ‘biggest bombing campaign’ still to come

US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a television interview that the “biggest bombing campaign” of the war had yet to take place.

Israel has said that over the past week it has heavily bombed an underground bunker complex believed to have been prepared for Iran’s leadership during wartime.

Fighting reported in eastern Lebanon

Clashes were also reported in eastern Lebanon early Saturday after an Israeli force landed near the town of Nabi Chit, a Hezbollah stronghold, according to Lebanon’s state-run news agency.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, and the Israeli military did not respond to requests for comment.

Israel has also carried out repeated airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs, a densely populated area where Hezbollah maintains a strong presence.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said at least 217 people had been killed and 798 wounded in Israeli strikes since Monday.

In Beirut, roads were clogged with traffic as residents fled the southern districts amid rising smoke from the bombardment. Two hospitals evacuated patients and staff.

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

With AP/PTI inputs