Israel attacks Iran and Lebanon as Trump says war’s purpose is to “cleanse” the Tehran regime

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote in a short post on social media on Friday that unknown countries have “started mediation efforts” as the US-Israeli war against his nation continues in full swing.

“Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region, but we have no hesitation in protecting the dignity and sovereignty of our nation. Mediation must speak to those who underestimate the Iranian people and fuel this conflict,” said Pezeshkian.

Pezeshkian, who has long been considered a moderate member of Iran’s government, did not provide further details, and the country’s military commanders have issued statements in recent days suggesting they are not interested in negotiating a war.

President Trump told NBC News on Thursday that the purpose of the joint US-Israel war against Iran was to “clean up” the country’s theocratic leadership. He added, however, that he had ideas about who in Iran would make a “good leader,” and that the US was taking unspecified measures to keep those people alive during the war.

Several Gulf countries were directly involved in brokering indirect talks between the US and Iran, which were abruptly cut short when the US and Israel launched an attack on Feb. 28.

CBS News sought comment from officials in Doha, Qatar, a key broker in those talks, as well as contacts in Tehran and the Omani capital Muscat, about Pezeshkian’s claim of new “mediation efforts.”

The Iranian military said on Friday it had released “a number of military attack drones” that it said were “hitting American positions” in Kuwait.

“In the past hours, various types of attack aircraft from the Ground Forces have carried out targeted strikes on American bases in Kuwait,” the military said in a post on social media, adding that “these attacks will continue in the coming hours.”

There were no immediate reports of drones entering Kuwait, but the small US Gulf coalition has been hit repeatedly by Iranian drones and missiles since the war began nearly a week ago – including a drone strike on the first day of the conflict. it killed six US soldiers where the war is entered.

Four men were arrested in the UK capital on Friday on suspicion of being spies for Iran, according to the London Metropolitan Police. Police arrested the men – one Iranian and three of British-Iranian origin – in the early hours of Friday morning in the north of Barnet and Watford, the force said.

The investigation focused on “suspicious surveillance of places and people connected to the Jewish community” in London, according to a press release.

“Today’s arrest is part of a long-running investigation and part of our ongoing work to disrupt serious crime where we suspect it,” said Commander Helen Flanagan, the Met’s head of counterterror.

The men are aged 55, 52, 40 and 22, according to a police statement. Six others were arrested for allegedly helping the suspects, one was arrested for assaulting a police officer.

Sam Vinograd, former DHS assistant secretary for counterterrorism and counterterrorism, told CBS News this week that Iran represents the country. “a multi-dimensional threat” to the US state“With a deep bench of players stepping in to do damage,” including proxies — states, like-minded terrorist organizations — and federal agents.

Iran has established what it called “private networks here in the United States – regular criminals who hire and pay money to do things like murder and murder.”

Explosions were reported in Tehran and Beirut on Friday after the Israeli army announced a new “wave of strikes” in both cities, intensifying its fight against the Iranian regime and Hezbollah, one of the most powerful strikes. district representative teamsin Lebanon.

An Israeli military official said the strikes were aimed at “terrorist state infrastructure” in Tehran, while in the Lebanese capital, they said there were “several waves of strikes” in the Dahieh area of ​​Beirut against Hezbollah targets, following “wide calls to residents in the area to evacuate to minimize casualties.”

A military official said more than 500 targets were struck in Lebanon, “including top Hezbollah terrorists,” rocket launchers, and weapons depots.

Israel says it has achieved “close air superiority” against Iran, as the ongoing US-allied strikes enter their seventh day. Israel says those strikes destroyed more than 80% of Iran’s air defense systems.

“We destroy most of Iran’s missiles and airpower every hour,” President Trump said Thursday, calling Iran’s military “tough” but weak.

Still, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi says the war is far from over, and insists Tehran is “not asking for a ceasefire.”

As Iranian drones and missiles continue to target American allies across the Gulf, sirens sounded again on Friday across Kuwait City, where the US Embassy was closed the previous day.

President Trump said the purpose of the war against Iran is to “go in and clean out” the country’s theocratic leadership. In a telephone interview with NBC News, Mr. Trump also said he has some ideas about who would be a “good leader” there.

“We want to go in and clean everything,” he said. “We don’t want someone to rebuild for a 10-year period.”

The president added that the US was taking steps to try to ensure that reasonable people survive the war, without giving details.

Mr. Trump has said it before he has to “be a part” on the appointment of the next leader of Iran, calling son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been mentioned as a possible successor, is an “unacceptable” and “low weight” option.

Speaking Monday at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said US operations are “laser-focused: destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their military and other security infrastructure, and they will never have nuclear weapons.”

He dismissed criticism of the operation as the start of another “endless war” in the Middle East and insisted that “it is not a so-called war of revolution.”

“But the regime has definitely changed, and the world is better for it today,” Hegseth said.

NATO “expanded its ballistic missile defense posture-wide” after the war. the break of the arrow that was presented to Turkey on Wednesday, said a spokesman for the alliance.

“This immediate action was taken by the commander of NATO’s Air Command, who also recommended that NATO remain at this level until the threat of Iran continues to attack indiscriminately across the region,” said the spokesman, adding that “this adjustment gives the Supreme Allied Commander Europe exactly what it needs to protect the current alliance and protect it.”

“As the world saw yesterday, NATO is perfecting its ballistic missile defense procedures. In less than 10 minutes, NATO service members identified a threat to allies, a ballistic missile, confirmed its trajectory, alerted missile defense systems based on land and sea, and launched an interceptor to defeat the threat and protect our territory and its people,” the statement continued. “That’s real power!”

Turkey is a NATO ally, and the missile attack raised questions about whether the alliance would invoke Article V of the NATO constitution, which states that a strike against one member should be considered an attack on all.

Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense reported early Friday that it intercepted three Iranian planes east of its capital, Riyadh.

On Monday, the US Embassy in Riyadh was targeted by an Iranian drone attack that caused minor fire and minor damage, the Defense Department said. No injuries were reported.

According to Israel’s independent Center for National Security Studies, Saudi Arabia has been targeted with 14 missiles and five drones since the start of the war.

Qatari officials announced early Friday morning local time that their forces intercepted an Iranian plane that was heading to Al Udeid Airport in Doha.

Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said in a statement that its forces “successfully intercepted a drone attack” targeting Al Udeid, it is the largest US site in the Middle East with about 8,000 to 10,000 US troops.

The Ministry of Defense of Qatar reported on Thursday that the country was targeted by 14 ballistic missiles and four drones from Iran. All of these missiles were intercepted except for one, the rest of the missiles landed in the sea.

The US Embassy in Qatar announced on Wednesday that the State Department has ordered all non-emergency government employees and their families to evacuate Qatar. The embassy said it is under an evacuation plan for all remaining emergency workers.

“As much as you can, stay inside your place of residence, hotel, or other building, and do not enter the windows,” said the ambassador.