Trump's Fiery Rhetoric as US-Israeli Strikes Intensify
Former US President Donald Trump has issued a blistering attack on Iranian leadership, labeling them "deranged scumbags" while vowing that Iran would be hit "very hard" in coming days. His inflammatory comments came as residents of Tehran reported relentless bombing with US and Israeli warplanes launching successive waves of attacks on the Iranian capital.
Chaos in Tehran During Al-Quds Day Rally
One strike reportedly hit close to a square near Tehran University where crowds had gathered for an al-Quds Day rally in support of Iran's regime. Video published by the semi-official Tasnim news agency showed a plume of grey smoke rising as demonstrators screamed "Death to Israel!" and "Death to America!" The area is home to many government buildings, amplifying the symbolic impact of the attack.
Iranian media published videos showing members of the country's regime at the demonstration, including Ali Larijani who heads the Supreme National Security Council and Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei, the hardline cleric leading the country's judiciary. The foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, was seen walking in Tehran's streets while President Masoud Pezeshkian was mobbed by supporters as he attended the rally.
Regional Violence Spreading Across Middle East
Across the region, chaos, bloodshed and destruction continued to spread. Further Israeli strikes hit Lebanon where 800,000 people have been displaced, while Hezbollah and Iran launched new missile and drone attacks on targets in Israel. Fresh Iranian attacks targeted civilian infrastructure in Gulf states, creating a widening conflict zone.
The US reported six servicemen killed in an accident involving a tanker plane used for mid-air refueling that crashed in Iraq. Separately in Iraq, a French soldier was killed in a drone strike by a pro-Iranian militia group, highlighting the international dimension of the escalating conflict.
Trump's Social Media Threats and Military Claims
In a post on social media, Trump wrote: "Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today ... 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. What a great honor it is to do so!"
Late on Friday, Trump claimed that US forces had "obliterated" military targets on Iran's Kharg Island, warning that the oil infrastructure there could be next. The small island serves as the primary terminal for Iran's oil exports. In a Truth Social post, he stated: "The United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran's crown jewel, Kharg Island."
He added a specific warning: "I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island. However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision."
US Defense Secretary's Assessment of Iranian Leadership
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a press conference in Washington that Iranian leaders were "desperate and hiding, they've gone underground." He claimed Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who issued a defiant statement on Thursday pledging to continue fighting, had been "wounded and likely disfigured."
"He put out a statement yesterday – a weak one actually – but there was no voice and there was no video. It was a written statement. He called for unity ... apparently killing tens of thousands of protesters is his kind of unity," Hegseth said, referencing Iran's domestic crackdowns.
Tehran Residents Describe Living Under Constant Bombardment
Residents of Tehran described harrowing conditions with no respite from the explosions since the war began with an Israeli strike that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's ruler for 37 years. A 66-year-old retired professor said: "The buildings are shaking ... There's rubble everywhere and people are still risking their lives to go to work. Please stop this. I am begging the world to act now before the entire city is destroyed."
A 42-year-old shopkeeper from central Tehran reported counting six explosions within a single hour: "We've taped the windows with newspapers. I am hardly even sleeping. They have bombed all night. I am scared to step out. These are some powerful bombs because I don't even hear the drones any more. That's how continuous today's explosions have been."
Israeli Military Operations and Regional Impact
Israel announced another wave of strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, claiming its air force had hit more than 200 targets in the past 24 hours including missile launchers, defense systems and weapons production sites. Hegseth stated that more than 15,000 "enemy targets" had been struck since the conflict began, averaging more than 1,000 per day.
In Lebanon, at least eight people were killed in an Israeli strike on the southern coastal city of Sidon with nine others wounded according to Lebanon's health ministry. Israel's military also hit the Zrarieh Bridge spanning Lebanon's Litani River, claiming it was being used by Hezbollah militants to move between Lebanon's north and south.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said the strikes so far were "just the beginning" and that Lebanon's government would "pay an increasing price for the damage to Lebanese national infrastructure used by Hezbollah." More than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since the latest fighting between Israel and Hezbollah militants began.
Economic and Strategic Implications
After steep drops on Thursday, stock markets rallied slightly as oil prices fell. However, about a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies travel through the narrow Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked by attacking shipping there. Hegseth said the US was "dealing with" Iran's attacks in the strait while claiming Iran had not yet mined the crucial waterway.
The Financial Times reported that European countries including France have opened talks with Tehran seeking to negotiate a deal to guarantee safe passage for their ships through the strait, though Italy denied the report.
Casualty Figures and Continuing Attacks
Iranian authorities say more than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran, while Israel has reported 12 deaths. The US has lost at least 13 service members with another eight suffering severe injuries. In northern Israel, nearly 60 people were wounded after Hezbollah fired several rocket salvoes toward the area and at Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, with most injuries described as minor.
Iran responded with daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure around the Gulf region. On Friday, Saudi Arabia said it had downed nearly 50 drones sent in multiple waves. In Oman, two people were killed when two drones crashed in an industrial area in Sohar. A building at the Dubai International Financial Center sustained damage when hit with debris from what authorities described as a "successful interception."
Late on Friday, the Israeli military said it had launched a new wave of strikes on Tehran, while Qatar's interior ministry issued evacuation orders for parts of Doha before explosions were heard in the city center. Qatar's defense ministry subsequently said it had intercepted a missile attack.
