Iran president issues major surrender update that will leave Trump furious

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issues a statement on the nation's TV (Image: IRNA)

Iran has insisted it will not give up in its war with the US despite Donald Trump's insistence that an unconditional surrender is the only way American and Israeli strikes will end.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a statement on the nation's state TV IRNA channel in which he apologised to other Middle Eastern countries for strikes that had hit them, but insisted there would be no unconditional surrender.

Mr Pezeshkian said in a pre-recorded speech broadcast on Saturday: "The enemies must take their wish for the surrender of the Iranian people to their graves."

Donald Trump wants Iran's 'unconditional surrender' (Image: Getty)

He added: "I should apologise to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf. From now on, they should not attack neighbouring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy."

Mr Pezeshkian's comments came after Mr Trump said on Friday (March 6) that he would not seek a deal with Iran to end the weeklong war without the country's "unconditional surrender".

Washington also warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign which officials said would be the most intense of a conflict which has rocked the Middle East.

Mr Trump wrote on social media: "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!... and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s)".

He added the US and its allies will help to rebuild Iran, making it "economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before".

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Masoud Pezeshkian says 'some countries' are involved in mediation with the US and Israel (Image: Getty)

His Iranian counterpart wrote on social media that "some countries" had begun mediation efforts, without detailing which ones.

Mr Trump, meanwhile, told media outlets he should be involved in choosing a replacement for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening strikes of the war.

He spoke dismissively of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, who is a front-runner to replace his father, calling him "a lightweight".

Iranian state TV reported on Friday that a leadership council had started discussing how to convene the country’s Assembly of Experts, which will select the new supreme leader.

The Trump administration has already approved a new £112.7million ($151m) arms sale to Israel after Mr Trump said he would not negotiate with the Islamic Republic.

Passengers at Dubai International Airport were ushered into underground train tunnels amid an Iranian strike (Image: t.me/supernova_plus)

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a TV interview on Friday that the "biggest bombing campaign" of the war was yet to come.

Iran's UN ambassador said the country would "take all necessary measures" to defend itself.

The US and Israel have hammered Iran with strikes, targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program.

So far the fighting has 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 troops have been killed in a conflict which has engulfed the region.

Sirens sounded earlier on Saturday in Bahrain as Iranian attacks targeted the island kingdom. Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones headed toward its vast Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts US forces.

In Dubai, several blasts were heard on Saturday morning. The government said it had activated air defences. Passengers waiting for flights out of Dubai International Airport found themselves ushered into train tunnels after the alert sounded.