Cracks In Iranian Leadership? An Apology, Then More Regional Attacks
Iran could be moving closer to electing a new supreme leader even as some cracks appeared to be developing among the surviving rulers in Tehran, while the United States and Israel vowed to hit Iran harder than ever as the war passed the one-week mark.
After Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian said he wanted to "personally apologize to neighboring countries" that had been hit by Iranian missiles and drones, powerful national-security chief Ali Larijani and others on March 7 defiantly lashed out and Tehran struck again at the United States's Arab allies in the region.
Separately, Iranian state media late on March 7 quoted hard-line Ayatollah Hossein Mozafari, a member of the Assembly of Experts --– which will elect the country's next ruler -- as saying the body could meet in the next 24 hours to make a decision.
To read the full report, click here.
Magic Bullet? Sci-Fi Laser Weapons Are Now An Anti-Drone Reality
Shaky amateur footage showing rockets apparently disappearing in bursts of sparks over Lebanon were shared online on March 2, along with claims the videos showed the results of a futuristic Israeli air defense weapon in action amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
These claims have been widely disputed, but one element of the discussion is based on reality: Since December 2025, the Israeli military has fielded a laser weapon, dubbed Iron Beam, designed to counter "various aerial threats" faced by Israel.
To read the full report by Amos Chapple, click here.
Sirens In Israel, Iranian Oil Fields Struck, Netanyahu Vows 'Surprises'
TEL AVIV -- Sirens rang out here early on March 8 amid the latest ballistic missile attack, shortly after the Israeli military announced it had launched a fresh wave of air strikes on Iran.
The early morning exchanges followed what appeared to be the first Israeli attack on Iranian oil fields and a late-night TV address by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which he said Israel had an "organized plan with many surprises" in store.
Netanyahu told Israelis the campaign would "destabilize the regime" and that "the moment of truth is drawing near."
In a statement on the attacks on Iranian oil fields, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) said "the military forces of the Iranian terror regime make direct and frequent use of these fuel tanks."
The attack followed an announcement by IDF chief Eyal Zamir on March 6 that operations against Iran were entering a "new phase."
Iran's Fars news agency said three oil depots in western Tehran were struck by Israeli jets.
Russia Told Not To Provide Targeting Intelligence To Iran
US special envoy Steve Witkoff on March 7 said Moscow has been told not to provide targeting intelligence to Iran amid air strikes by US and Israel forces.
US officials on March 6 told RFE/RL that Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to attack US troops and military assets in the Middle East, confirming a Washington Post report that suggested Moscow is playing a substantial if indirect part in the widening regional conflict.
Witkoff was asked by reporters aboard Air Force One if he had told Moscow not to offer information to Tehran.
"I have strongly said that," he said, without providing details.
Witkoff has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin several times and is leading the US delegation in trilateral talks with Moscow and Kyiv to end the war in Ukraine.
US intelligence agencies have declined to comment publicly on the reports.
US President Donald Trump said he had had no indication Russia was supporting Iran.
"If they are, they're not doing a very good job because Iran is not doing too well," Trump said.
Russia and Iran are longtime allies. Tehran has provided deadly drones to Moscow for use in the war against Ukraine.
Trump Says Does Not Want Iranian Kurds To Launch Offensive
US President Donald Trump on March 7 said he did not want ethnic Kurds to launch a ground offensive against the regime in Iran, saying he did not want to see them “get hurt and killed.”
"We're not looking to the Kurds going in," he told reporters aboard Air Force One on March 7.
"We're very friendly with the Kurds, as you know, but we don't want to make the war any more complex than it already is."
“Yeah, I have ruled that out. I don’t want the Kurds going in. I don’t want to see the Kurds get hurt and killed,” he added.
“They’re willing to go in, but I’ve told them I don’t want them going in. The war’s complicated enough without getting the Kurds involved.”
Two days earlier, Trump had told Reuters that he would be "all for" an offensive by Iranian Kurdish fighters in support of the US-Israeli war.
"I think it's wonderful that they want to do that. I'd be all for it,” he told the news agency at the time.
Several Iranian opposition Kurdish groups are based in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region and have been waging a low-level insurgency against Tehran for years. Some have demanded autonomy within Iran while others are fighting for secession from the Islamic republic.
Kurds make up around 10 percent of Iran's population and primarily live in the country's west along the border with Iraq. Iran has long been accused of suppressing and discriminating against the country's ethnic minorities, including Kurds.
US Forces Begin Using British Air Bases For 'Defensive Operations'
US forces have begun using bases in Britain for "defensive operations" in the Middle East as attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel enter their second week.
The British Defense Ministry said the United States has started utilizing the facilities for "specific defensive operations to prevent Iran firing missiles into the region."
US President Donald Trump had expressed anger with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for initially refusing to assist with offensive operations in the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Starmer defended his initial decision by saying any British action "must always have a lawful basis and a viable, thought-through plan."
He later granted a US request to use two British military bases for a "specific and limited defensive purpose" -- Fairford in southwestern England, and the UK-US Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.
Air Chief Marshal Knighton, chief of the Defense Staff, indicated that Britain could play a more active role in the future, saying “campaigns and conflicts evolve over time.”
Trump Attends Return Of Slain Troops To US Soil
US President Donald Trump on March 7 attended the return of the remains of the first six US soldiers killed in Kuwait during the US and Israeli war against Iran.
Accompanied by several Cabinet members and Vice President J.D. Vance, Trump saluted as each flag-draped case was transported from military aircraft at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The base is the traditional sites where the remains of US troops killed overseas are returned to United States.
The Pentagon said the soldiers were killed on March 1 when a drone struck a US command center in Kuwait, a day after the US and Israeli militaries launched a massive air campaign against Iran.
Israel Strikes Iran's National Oil Reserves, Igniting Massive Blaze
Israel's military on March 7 struck Iran's national oil reserves in Tehran for the first time, with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) saying the attack was part of measures targeting assets belonging to Iran's leadership.
An IDF spokesman said about 30 oil tanks were attacked. Video images from Iran shared on social showed massive flames bursting from the oil facility.
"The military forces of the Iranian terrorist regime make direct and frequent use of these fuel tanks to operate military infrastructure. Through them, the Iranian terrorist regime distributes fuel to various consumers, including military entities in Iran," the IDF said.
Iranian state broadcaster IRIB quoted the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as confirming the bombing of an oil refinery near the capital.
The official IRNA news agency reported that "oil depot in southern Tehran was targeted by the US and Zionist regime."
The National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company (NIORDC) said all necessary measures were being implemented to minimize damage to the country's oil reserves.
It added that fuel supply to Tehran and Alborz Provinces was being stabilized by produce from other sources.
Videos and images from Tehran showing massive flames were shared on social media.
The IRGC said it fired missiles at an Israel oil facility in the city of Haifa in retaliation.
Iranians Continue To Cross Into Armenia Amid Air Attacks
Iranians cross the border into Armenia as air strikes pound Tehran and other parts of the country. After entering Armenia, one woman said Iranians had "lost everything" amid the destruction and dwindling resources.
Netanyahu: Israel Has A Plan 'To Eradicate Iranian Regime'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country would continue the war against Iran "with all our force," and that, together with the United States, it now has almost total control of the skies over Iran after a full week of the military campaign.
"We have a systematic plan to eradicate the Iranian regime and achieve many other objectives," Netanyahu said in a televised address on March 7, minutes after Iranian state media reported that joint US-Israeli air strikes hit an oil depot in Tehran.
Netanyahu's comments came amid a heated exchange between Tehran and Washington, with President Donald Trump announcing that the United States is considering expanding the range of targets inside Iran after its President Masud Pezeshkian rejected his demand for complete surrender.
In earlier comments on March 6, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the United States expected to complete its achievable objectives in Iran in "four to six weeks."