U.S. President Donald Trump says there “will be no deal” with Iran unless it surrenders unconditionally, a day after Iran’s Foreign Minister said the country was prepared to stand up to a ground invasion. Trump has also said that any new leadership of the country would have to be “acceptable” to the United States. This follows what has now been seven days of heavy U.S.-Israeli bombardment, including a new major wave of strikes by Israel targeting Iranian leadership in Tehran overnight.
You can catch up with our past coverage of ongoing operations against Iran here. Latest updates on the war are down the page on this article.
Trump’s statement was made via a post on his Truth Social social media network.
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!,” he wrote. “After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).”
Trump has increasingly talked about changing the regime in Tehran in recent days, and his desire to be personally involved in that process. This comes despite pushback from other U.S. officials about regime change being an explicit goal of what has been dubbed Operation Epic Fury.
“We want to go in and clean out everything,” Trump told NBC News in a phone call on Thursday. “We don’t want someone who would rebuild over a 10-year period.”
“We want them to have a good leader,” the president added. “We have some people who I think would do a good job.”
Trump declined to offer any names, but said he was taking steps to make sure the people on his list make it through the war alive.
Trump acknowledged that Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is the most likely successor, but finds that outcome unacceptable and insists he play a role in determining Iran’s next leader, Axios reported.
“They are wasting their time. Khamenei’s son is a lightweight,” Trump told Axios. “I have to be involved in the appointment, like with Delcy in Venezuela.”
Trump was referring to the Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who took over after the capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro in a dramatic U.S. operation in January.
EXCLUSIVE: Trump says he must be involved in picking Iran’s next leader.
He said that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei, is the most likely successor — and finds that unacceptable.https://t.co/73b4PVOLW2
— Axios (@axios) March 5, 2026
Trump had also called for Iran’s unconditional surrender during the 12 Day War between Israel and Iran last year, before helping broker a ceasefire agreement between the parties.
Before Trump made his unconditional surrender demand, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), laid out how destructive Epic Fury has been to Iran’s military.
“Over the last 24 hours of the operation, compared to where we were at the start, ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90%, drone attacks have decreased by 83% since day one,” he told reporters, including from The War Zone, during a press conference at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa, Florida, on Thursday evening. Cooper added that these attacks have also wiped out a large chunk of Iran’s Navy, destroying 20 ships so far.
Overnight, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it carried out a massive 50-jet raid on Tehran, targeting an underground bunker complex intended for use by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and other top leaders. Khamenei was killed elsewhere in the opening phase of what the IDF called Operation Roaring Lion.
The bunker “spanned multiple streets in the heart of Tehran and contained numerous entrances and meeting rooms” for senior Iranian leaders, the IDF explained. It was intended to be used by Khamenei as “a secure emergency command center,” but after his death, “the compound continued to be used by senior Iranian regime officials,” the IDF claimed.
The “senior commander” targeted by these Israeli air strikes was Asghar Hijazi, Times of Israel military correspondent Emanuel “Mannie” Fabian reported on X, citing Israeli defense sources.
“Hijazi is said to be the acting head of the supreme leader’s office, following the killing of Ali Khamenei,” Fabian added.
Videos emerging from Tehran showed multiple explosions and ensuing fireballs rising in the distance. Local residents described the attack as “the worst, strongest, and most horrifying ever.”
For their part, Iranian officials have been publicly rejecting the possibility of new talks and/or a ceasefire with the United States and Israel amid the ongoing conflict. Iran’s Foreign Minister Sayed Abbas Araghchi also said yesterday that his country was prepared for a ground invasion.
“Relying on its defensive capabilities and the support of the Iranian nation, the Islamic Republic defends the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity within the framework of its inherent right to legitimate self-defense and will respond decisively to any aggressive act,” Araghchi told his Cuban counterpart today.
Significant pressure is clearly being put on the regime in Tehran to capitulate, at least to some degree. Top Iranian leadership figures are being actively targeted, as are individuals who could step in to fill the resulting voids. What the U.S. government, as well as its Israeli allies, may actually be willing to accept in order to bring the conflict to an end remains to be seen.
UPDATE: 12:10 PM EST –
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has now released a video showing a strike on the Iranian ‘drone carrier’ Shahid Bagheri, an unusual ship you can read more about here. At a press conference late yesterday, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, head of CENTCOM, said an unnamed “Iranian drone carrier ship, roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier” had been targeted “just the last few hours.” In a post on X on March 2 denying claims of an attack on a U.S. carrier, CENTCOM had “the only carrier that has been hit is the Shahid Bagheri.” It remains unclear whether the Shahid Bagheri was struck multiple times.
A video clip, taken from the shore, has now also emerged that is said to show the Shahid Bagheri on fire following a strike. The U.S. military has made clear that the destruction of Iran’s naval capabilities is a core objective of Operation Epic Fury.
U.S. Central Command continues to release other footage from ongoing strikes on targets in Iran.
Satellite imagery shows runways have cratered at Iran’s Hamedan and Dezful Air Bases in the course of ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes.
Online flight tracking software indicates that additional U.S. Air Force aerial refueling tankers have deployed to Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. U.S. officials have now repeatedly said that additional forces are still heading to the region. A U.S. tanker force had already been positioned at Ben Gurion in the lead-up to the current conflict.
More Tankers on the way! #FreeIran
— Operation EPIC FURY / ROARING LION —At least 6 more tanker aircraft have left the US heading towards the Middle East overnight, comprising:
KC-135R “RCH240” 63-8043 #AE05AD
KC-135R “RCH169” 63-8017 #AE07C1
KC-135R “RCH177” 57-2599… pic.twitter.com/temJeBJ1l5— DefenceGeek
(@DefenceGeek) March 6, 2026
Additional USAF Tankers (6) heading to Ben Gurion airport/airbase, Tel Aviv.
There were around 30 of them already parked there yesterday. Their role is to refuel different fighter jets in the region attacking Iran. pic.twitter.com/YJ6yBr6mRJ
— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) March 6, 2026
The Israel Defense Forces have shared a video taken in the cockpit of a fighter flying over Iran.
Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Lammy has said the country would be within its rights to take “defensive action” in response to Iranian threats, including taking “down sites [Iran] that are anticipating attacking our people.” There are no indications that British forces have struck targets in Iran yet.
Publicly available data continues to show a decline in the number of Iranian ballistic missiles and drones launched in retaliatory attacks over the course of the conflict so far.
Day 8
Iran Missile launches during the first 8 days of conflict:
Ballistic Missiles:
Day 1 — 350
Drone Swarms:
Day 1 — 294
— World Insights (@World_Insights1) March 6, 2026
CBS News has reported that quadcopter-type drones may have conducted surveillance of U.S. facilities in Kuwait ahead of an attack that killed six American servicemembers.
Iranian intelligence utilized various means to track service members after they left the base.
In anticipation of the offensive and expected retaliation to include strikes on Camp Arifjan, the Tactical Ops Center (TOC) was moved to the same facility at the port used during… https://t.co/R8VcPGIESm
— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) March 6, 2026
Qatari authorities say an Iranian attack struck facilities housing its naval personnel in Bahrain.
The Washington Post has reported that Russia may be providing Iran with information to help with targeting American forces in the Middle East, citing unnamed officials.
The video below is said to show the remains of an Iranian ballistic missile and its transporter-erector-launcher inside a structure following a strike.
The videos below is said to show strikes on targets in the Iranian city ofIlam.
The satellite imagery below is said to show the aftermath of Iranian attacks earlier this week on facilities in Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Satellite images of oil facilities in Fujairah, UAE.
UAE is considering freezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets held in the country and possibly seizing Iranian ships, – WSJ
Qatar says the ongoing war could force Gulf countries to stop energy exports if it… pic.twitter.com/K5U49eikL0
— MAKS 25
(@Maks_NAFO_FELLA) March 6, 2026
South Korea’s Chosun newspaper has reported that 1,000 guidance kits for Paveway-series laser-guided bombs were moved from storage at Osan Air Base in December, possibly in support of preparation for Operation Epic Fury. However, the sourcing for the story is unclear, and it says that officials in the country have declined to comment.
South Korean media outlets are also reporting that the Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile system, which is in service in the UAE, has made its combat debut, citing members of the country’s National Assembly and unnamed military officials.
Pro-Iranian Iraqi militants claim to have launched kamikaze drones aimed at Jordanian military bases.
#USA / #Iraq / #Jordan
: Iraqi group “Rijal Al-Bas Al-Shadid” (Men of Great Strength) carried out attacks on Jordanian military bases.
Group seemingly launched several #Iran-made
X-Tail “Shahed-101” Kamikaze Drones (OWA-UAVs) towards Jordan. pic.twitter.com/QT2ERJ7IJL
— War Noir (@war_noir) March 6, 2026
There are reports that ships continue to come under attack in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime traffic through this highly strategic waterway continues to be at a virtual standstill due to the ongoing conflict.
Feb 28 = 98
Mar 1 = 18
Mar 2 = 7
Mar 3 = 1
Mar 4 = 2H/T: @UK_MTO @MarineTraffic pic.twitter.com/EtBXkSREla
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping)
(@mercoglianos) March 6, 2026
Qatari Energy Minister Saad Sherida Al Kaabi has warned that all Gulf energy producers could halt production “within weeks and drive oil to $150 a barrel” if the ongoing conflict continues unabated in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper. Some oil fields are already cutting back production as available storage capacity in the country fills up as exports slow, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The U.S. government is reportedly easing sanctions on Russian oil exports to India amid disruption in global markets as a result of ongoing operations against Iran, the Financial Times has also reported.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad has issued a new alert saying U.S. nationals are “strongly encouraged to depart as soon as they are safely able to do so” and advising them to use overland routes given regional airspace closures. The Embassy has suspended regular consular services.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces will deploy a transport aircraft to the Republic of Maldives in the Indian Ocean as part of an effort aid Japanese nationals in departing the Middle East.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reported that, with regard to supporting the departure of Japanese nationals, transportation for those staying in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates will be carried out sequentially starting as early as tomorrow onward. In light of this, the Ministry of Defense is proceeding with preparations for the Self-Defense Forces as a precaution, in preparation for unforeseen circumstances such as the inability to operate civilian charter flights,” Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi wrote on X, according to a machine translation of the post below. “The one Air Self-Defense Force transport aircraft moving to and positioning in the Republic of Maldives will be operated by pilots, maintenance personnel, and others from the Air Support Command (the Air Self-Defense Force unit that conducts air transport of supplies and air traffic control), with medical officers also on board.”
Sri Lankan authorities have released a video showing Iranian sailors from the frigate IRIS Dena being rescued after it was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine in the Indian Ocean earlier this week.
Reuters has reported that U.S. officials are increasingly of the view that American forces were responsible for a strike on a primary school for girls in Mindab, Iran, but that the investigation is ongoing. Iranian officials have said that 150 students died as a result. The school directly abuts an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facility in Mindab, which is believed to have been the target of the strike.
Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
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