DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Following Iran’s widespread drone assault on Gulf nations early Friday morning, President Donald Trump issued harsh threats of retaliation against what he called Iran’s leadership.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to deliver a stark warning: “Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today. Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth.”
The president’s remarks followed Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s promise to “not refrain from avenging the blood” of fallen Iranians, while demanding Gulf nations close American military installations, calling U.S. protection “nothing more than a lie.”
A significant explosion disrupted Tehran’s Ferdowsi Square during the annual Quds Day rally supporting Palestinians, according to Iranian state media. Israel had issued advance warnings for civilians to evacuate the area before conducting planned operations. The blast’s aftermath showed demonstrators shouting “God is the greatest” amid rising smoke, though casualty reports remained unavailable.
Despite ongoing military action, thousands participated in Quds Day demonstrations, with crowds shouting “death to Israel” and “death to America.”
U.S. Central Command confirmed that four crew members from an American KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in Iraq were found deceased, with search operations continuing for two remaining personnel. Additionally, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a French soldier’s death in northern Iraq.
Global energy markets remain volatile as Brent crude oil prices stay above $100 per barrel, with Iran maintaining its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This critical shipping lane handles one-fifth of worldwide oil transport from the Persian Gulf. Oil costs have surged approximately 40% since the conflict began on February 28, reaching peaks near $120 per barrel.
Khamenei, speaking publicly for the first time since replacing his father who died early in the conflict, pledged continued disruption of the waterway.
Saudi Arabia reported intercepting nearly 50 Iranian drones launched in multiple attack waves. In Oman, two fatalities occurred when drones struck an industrial facility in Sohar. Bahrain activated warning sirens for incoming attacks, while Dubai experienced fires in industrial zones from intercepted drone debris.
The Dubai International Financial Center, housing major banks and trading firms, sustained damage from interception debris. Iran had previously announced its intention to target financial institutions following airstrikes on a Tehran bank.
Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired rocket barrages into northern Israel, wounding nearly 60 people with mostly minor injuries. Israeli forces responded with strikes in southwestern Beirut, killing one person, and targeted a Hezbollah member’s residence.
An Israeli attack in eastern Lebanon killed two sons of a local Muslim Brotherhood official while wounding their father. Lebanon’s Health Ministry reports over 600 deaths since fighting commenced, with nearly 800,000 people internally displaced according to UN refugee agencies.
Israeli military officials announced strikes against more than 200 Iranian targets within 24 hours, including missile systems, defense installations, and weapons manufacturing facilities.
Before the Tehran square explosion, Israel’s military posted warnings in Farsi on social media, stating it would “conduct operations” in the area and warning that “your presence in these areas puts your life at risk.” The message’s reach remained unclear due to Iran’s internet restrictions.
Iranian security official Ali Larijani, participating in Quds Day events, characterized the suspected Israeli attack as a “sign of its desperation.”
Iranian officials claim more than 1,300 casualties on their side, while Israel reports 12 deaths. American forces have lost at least 11 soldiers with eight others severely wounded.
Trump elaborated on his military stance Friday morning, stating: “we are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise.”
“They’ve been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them,” Trump declared. “What a great honor it is to do so!”
Larijani responded that Trump fails to recognize that “the more pressure he puts on the people, the greater their willpower will be.”
The French soldier’s death occurred during an attack on Irbil in Iraq’s Kurdish region, where French forces operate under a multinational counterterrorism mission supporting Iraqi troops against Islamic State militants. Six additional French soldiers were previously injured in Irbil drone strikes.
British officials confirmed minor injuries to several U.S. personnel Wednesday when drones hit an Irbil base housing both British and American troops. Italy reported strikes on its Irbil facility without casualties, where Italian forces train Kurdish troops at Iraq’s government request.
Search operations continue in western Iraq for the remaining two crew members of the crashed KC-135 refueling plane. U.S. Central Command stated the crash resulted from neither friendly nor hostile fire, involving two aircraft with one landing safely.
This KC-135 represents the fourth publicly acknowledged U.S. military aircraft loss during Iranian operations. Last week, three American fighter jets were accidentally destroyed by Kuwaiti friendly fire.
