US President Donald Trump posted a new threat to Iran's leaders Friday on his Truth Social website: "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 honour it is to do so!"
Trump said no operation is in place to seize Iran’s enriched uranium. Asked if the US would attempt to retrieve the material, he said: "No, not at all. We're not focused on that. But at some point, we might be."
Trump suggested the US is holding off from escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He said on Fox News Radio: "We would do it if we need to. Hopefully things are going to go very well."
Trump suggested Russian President Vladimir Putin might be aiding Iran. "I think he might be helping them a little bit, yeah, I guess. And he probably thinks we're helping Ukraine, right?"
The conflict has intensified across the Middle East. A large explosion struck Tehran in an area filled with demonstrators for the annual Quds Day rally in support of the Palestinians, Iranian state television reported.
Thousands marched, chanting "death to Israel" and "death to America." US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said more than 15,000 enemy targets have been struck.
Hegseth said Iran is "exercising sheer desperation" in the Strait, which is blocking a significant portion of the world’s oil exports.
He added: "We have been dealing with it and don't need to worry. We're on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before."
Hegseth said Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is wounded and likely disfigured.
"We know the new so-called not so supreme leader is 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 said. "His father—dead. He's scared, he's injured, he's on the run and he lacks legitimacy."
Hegseth said Iran's drone attacks in retaliation have dropped sharply: "Iran’s missile volume down 90 per cent, drones down 95 per cent." He also reported a fatal drone attack in Kuwait that killed six US soldiers.
Hegseth said an officer has been appointed to lead an investigation into a deadly strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed over 165 people. "We'll get to the truth and we'll share it when we have it," he said.
Gen. Dan Caine said the US is prioritising Iran’s mine-laying operations.
All six crew members were killed when a US military KC-135 refuelling aircraft crashed in western Iraq. The American military said the incident involved another aircraft and was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. The war has affected global oil supplies.
Brent crude remained over USD 100 per barrel as Iran maintained control over the Strait of Hormuz. Hegseth told reporters: "We're dealing with it and don't need to worry about it."
Bodies of 84 Iranian sailors killed in a US submarine attack off Sri Lanka’s coast last week will be repatriated on a special flight that will also stop in India to collect crew members from another ship.
The Iranian warship IRIS Dena was sunk by a US torpedo on March 4 while returning from a naval exercise in India. Two other ships that participated in the exercises sought shelter: IRIS Lavan docked in India, and IRIS Booshehr docked in Sri Lanka.
Lebanon offered direct talks with Israel to end the conflict, but Israel rejected the offer. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has begun appointing a negotiating delegation. "Everything is on the table," a source familiar with his position said.
France is pursuing a coalition to secure the Strait once the situation stabilises, consulting with European, Asian, and Gulf states.
The UN launched a $325 million flash appeal to help Lebanon cope with the fallout from the war. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "Solidarity in words must be matched by solidarity in action."
Guterres called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah: "Lebanon was dragged into a war that is not a war that its people would be willing to have."
Guterres began a visit to Beirut Friday. He posted on X: "The people of Lebanon did not choose this war. They were dragged into it. I will spare no effort in striving for the peaceful future that Lebanon and this region so richly deserve."
The Developing Eight summit in Jakarta, scheduled for April 13-15, was delayed due to security concerns linked to the fighting.
The United Arab Emirates said Iran launched 285 ballistic missiles, 15 cruise missiles, and 1,567 drones.
Iraq’s Kirkuk crude oil flows to Turkey’s Ceyhan port resumed Friday after a temporary halt. Hegseth said there is "no clear evidence" that Iran is placing new mines in the Strait.
Tehran residents report widespread shock from US-Israeli airstrikes. "The psychological pressure is real," said an athlete in northern Tehran.
Historic landmarks such as Azadi Square and the Golestan Palace have been damaged, and security forces patrol streets to prevent dissent.
Israel said an academic killed in a drone strike in Beirut, Prof. Mortada Srour, was a Hezbollah operative. Srour was a chemistry lecturer at Lebanese University and brother of Mohammad Srour, commander of Hezbollah's aerial unit.
Britain accused Russia and Iran of cooperating to inflict military and economic pain on the West.
Foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said: "Moscow and Tehran are trying to support each other and try to benefit together from attempting to hijack the global economy."