Trump threatens to hit Iran “very hard” as Tehran vows no surrender amid fresh strikes

US President Donald Trump on Saturday warned that Iran would be hit ldquovery hardrdquo as tensions escalated in the ongoing war while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed that Tehran would never surrender despite a new wave of US and Israeli air strikesPosting on his Truth Social platform Trump said Iran could face further destruction because of its actions ldquoToday Iran will be hit very hardrdquo he wrote adding that areas and groups not previously considered targets could now face ldquocomplete destructionrdquoHis remarks came as Israeli forces carried out some of the largest air raids since the conflict began last week targeting a military academy an underground command centre and a missile storage facility in IranImages from Tehran showed thick smoke rising from the cityrsquos Mehrabad International Airport after predawn strikes triggered fires in parts of the airport complexIn response Iranian President Pezeshkian struck a defiant tone during a televised address rejecting Trumprsquos demand for ldquounconditional surrenderrdquoldquoIranrsquos enemies must take their wish for the unconditional surrender of the Iranian people to their gravesrdquo he saidDespite sustained bombardment of its military infrastructure over the past week Iran continued retaliatory strikes launching missiles and drones across the regionAir raid sirens and explosions were reported in Jerusalem as well as Gulf cities including Dubai and Manama Saudi Arabia said it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards an air base near Riyadh that houses US military personnelThe United Arab Emirates said its air defences intercepted 15 ballistic missiles and 119 drones on Saturday Video footage circulating online showed a projectile crashing near Dubai airport followed by an explosion close to airport buildings and parked aircraftJordan also accused Iran of targeting ldquovital installationsrdquo in the kingdom with missiles and drones over the past weekTehran sought to reassure Gulf neighbours hosting US military bases with Pezeshkian saying Iran would only target their territory if it was used to launch attacks against the countryIranrsquos Revolutionary Guards also claimed to have fired on an oil tanker attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz a crucial route for global energy shipments that Tehran has effectively shut during the conflictWest Asia conflict Human toll risingNow entering its second week the conflict began with joint US and Israeli air strikes that killed Iranrsquos supreme leader Ali KhameneiDamage across Iran has continued to mount with residents in Tehran reporting growing anxiety and a heavy security presence in the capitalThe Iranian health ministry said at least 926 civilians had been killed and around 6000 injured though the figures could not be independently verifiedIsrael has also intensified attacks in Lebanon repeatedly bombing Beirutrsquos southern suburbs where the Iranbacked Hezbollah group operatesLebanonrsquos health ministry said Israeli air strikes had killed at least 217 people over the past week while Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that the country faces a looming humanitarian disasterThe warrsquos impact has spread far beyond the immediate conflict zone Global stock markets have fallen and oil prices have surged amid fears the fighting could disrupt supplies from the Gulf regionTrump has ruled out negotiations with Tehran insisting that ldquothere will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrenderrdquoHe has also suggested helping rebuild Iranrsquos economy if a new leadership ldquoacceptablerdquo to Washington replaces the countryrsquos late supreme leaderIranrsquos ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani rejected the idea saying the selection of Iranrsquos leadership would be decided solely by the Iranian people without foreign interferenceMeanwhile Russia has called for an immediate ceasefire President Vladimir Putin raised the issue in a phone call with Pezeshkian the Kremlin saidThe conflict has already claimed the lives of six US service members with Trump expected to attend a transfer ceremony for their bodies at Dover Air Force Base in DelawareWith AFP inputs