Trump says Iran will be 'hit hard' as Tehran apologizes to neighbours

US President Donald Trump said Iran would be "hit very hard" on Saturday, adding that the country was already "being beat to hell" by ongoing US and Israeli attacks.

Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump noted that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had apologized to countries in the Gulf and elsewhere for strikes carried out on their territory.

"This promise was only made because of the relentless US and Israeli attack," Trump wrote, accusing Iran of seeking to "take over and rule the Middle East."

"Iran is no longer the 'Bully of the Middle East,' they are, instead, 'THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,' and will be for many decades until they surrender or, more likely, completely collapse," he added.

Trump said areas of Iran not previously targeted will be seriously considered for "complete destruction and certain death."

Pezeshkian earlier rejected calls for Tehran to surrender.

"Speculation about the country's possible surrender is absurd, and the enemies can take such dreams to their graves," he said in a video message broadcast on state television.

Trump had said on Friday he was no longer interested in reaching an agreement with Iran and instead called for "unconditional surrender."

In his statement on Saturday, Pezeshkian apologized for missile and drone strikes carried out against neighbouring countries over the past week.

He said Iran would halt attacks on neighbouring states as long as no strikes against Iran originated from their territory.

His remarks imply that attacks on Iran should not originate from US bases in the region, effectively applying the condition to the United States, which maintains facilities in countries such as Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

In the video message, he described any form of support for Israel and the United States as "dishonourable."

Pezeshkian said the launches had been "the result of the chaotic situation following the deaths of several high-ranking commanders, when the armed forces were leaderless and had to act independently."

Following Pezeshkian's remarks, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it respected the sovereignty and interests of neighbouring countries in line with the president's instructions.

However, it said US and Israeli military bases and interests in the region would continue to be considered primary targets.

Iranian state media reported heavy damage across parts of the country following overnight airstrikes.

State television said two hospitals in the south-western province of Khuzestan — the Razi medical centre in Ahvaz and the Imam Ali hospital in Andimeshk — were severely damaged by pressure waves from nearby explosions.

The state broadcaster also reported that Mehrabad domestic airport in western Tehran had been targeted in the attacks, with images showing fires at the site.

Disruptions at the airport were among the reasons the funeral of supreme leader ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an attack one week ago, was postponed earlier this week.

Khamenei is to be buried at the Imam Reza mausoleum in his home city of Mashhad, a holy site for Shiite Muslims in north-eastern Iran. The roughly 900-kilometre journey from Tehran to Mashhad takes around 10 hours by road, and the routes could potentially be targeted in further attacks.

The Israeli military said it carried out strikes on targets in Tehran, including an underground ballistic missile storage facility and a military university run by the IRGC.

Israel and the United States have been conducting large-scale attacks on Iran for the past week. Iran has in turn fired missiles at Israel and US-allied neighbouring countries.

Several Gulf states said on Saturday they had intercepted attacks from Iran.

Shortly after Pezeshkian's apology, Qatar's Ministry of Defence said its armed forces had intercepted a missile aimed at the energy-rich emirate. No casualties or damage were reported.

Qatar hosts the Al Udeid base, the largest US military installation in the Middle East. Other Gulf countries also host US military personnel and facilities.

Air-raid sirens sounded in Bahrain, home to the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, though no attacks were reported.

Bahrain's military said it had intercepted and destroyed 86 missiles and 148 drones since the start of the attacks.

The United Arab Emirates said its air defences intercepted 15 of 16 ballistic missiles and 119 of 121 drones on Saturday. Footage circulating online appeared to show a drone attack near Dubai airport, a major global aviation hub.

Saudi Arabia said earlier that it had intercepted several drones targeting the Shaybah oil field and two ballistic missiles fired toward the Prince Sultan Air Base near Riyadh. Two additional drones were destroyed east of the capital.