Smoke and flames rise from the site of an airstrike at Mehrabad International Airport in Tehran on March 7, 2026. (Photo credit: ATTA KENARE/AFP via Getty Images)
Atta Kenare | AFP | Getty Images
Iran announced it attacked a U.S. air base in the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, shortly after Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian said it would stop attacking neighboring countries.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that a naval drone unit from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps attacked Al Dhafra Air Base south of the capital Abu Dhabi.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately confirm the attack when contacted by CNBC for comment. In a post to
President Pezeshkian apologized to his Gulf neighbors early Saturday, saying his country had no intention of attacking other countries following a week of retaliatory attacks as the United States and Israel maintained military pressure on Tehran.
But Pezeshkian said the United States “can take their dreams to the grave. We will not surrender unconditionally.” Pezeshkian issued the statement through Iran’s state news agency’s social media channel Telegram.
“I apologize to our neighboring countries,” Pezeshkian said. “We do not intend to invade other countries. Let us put aside all our differences, concerns and resentments towards each other. Today, we will defend our homeland and bring Iran out of this crisis with dignity.”
President Donald Trump said the apology came in the wake of “relentless attacks by the United States and Israel.”
In a post on his Truth social account, President Trump said, “Iran, which has been beaten to hell, has apologized to its neighbors in the Middle East, surrendered, and promised not to fire again.”
“Iran will be hit hard today!” Trump wrote.
U.S. and Israeli airstrikes against Iran continued on Saturday, a week after they launched a joint operation to eliminate Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities while promoting regime change.
As Iran’s president apologized for the attack, Iran’s energy-rich Gulf neighbors said they had intercepted more missiles and drones from Iran heading into their airspace.
“U.S. forces have struck more than 3,000 targets in the first week of Operation Epic Fury, and we are not slowing down,” U.S. Central Command said in a post on X.
“Unconditional Surrender”
President Trump on Friday called for unconditional surrender from Iran, raising concerns that the war could be prolonged and wreak havoc on global oil and gas markets. The war has already brought traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, an important route for energy supplies, to a near standstill.
“A new attack on Tehran has been completed,” the Israeli military said.
“In the framework of these attacks, air force fighter jets fired approximately 230 rounds of ammunition at several military positions of the regime,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a Persian post on X.
According to the IDF, targets include the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Central Military University, missile storage facilities, and underground facilities that store and manufacture ballistic missiles.
The IDF said in a separate post that more than 80 Israeli fighter jets were involved in the attack.
“These attacks reduce the Iranian regime’s ability to fire on Israeli civilians,” the Israel Defense Forces said.
Gulf region under threat
Regional countries said they had launched air defense measures to fend off Iranian attacks.
The Saudi Ministry of Defense reported “interception and destruction of a drone east of the city of Riyadh.”
Dubai, the UAE’s largest city, has issued an alert asking residents to immediately evacuate to secure buildings and avoid approaching windows, doors and open areas.
U.S. crude oil prices posted their biggest weekly gain in futures trading history on Friday, as escalating wars in the Middle East caused major disruptions to global fuel supplies.
U.S. crude oil soared 35.63%, marking the biggest weekly gain in futures contracts since 1983. Brent crude rose about 28%, posting its biggest weekly gain since April 2020.
West Texas Intermediate futures rose 12.21%, or $9.89, to close at $90.90 per barrel. Global benchmark Brent rose 8.52%, or $7.28, to settle at $92.69 per barrel.
–Emma Graham contributed to this article.
