Live! Trump taunts Iran as ‘loser of Middle East’ after Pezeshkian apologises to neighbours

US President Donald Trump warned in a social media post on Saturday that more Iranian officials would become targets in the war, writing: “Today Iran will be hit very hard!” Trump made the comments on his Truth Social website, noting an apology by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier in the day to neighbouring nations over Tehran's attacks.

Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group issued a warning on Saturday for the residents of the northern Israeli towns of Kiryat Shmona and Nahariya to evacuate immediately.

Shortly after the Hezbollah warning was issued, alert sirens sounded near Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona and Tiberias.

Hezbollah's warning came after Israel's military ordered people in large parts of southern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut to evacuate.

The warnings made tens of thousands flee their homes and were followed by intense airstrikes.

Two media persons and a boat driver were arrested in Kochi for allegedly trespassing into the high security zone of Cochin Port harbour and taking photos and videos of an Iranian ship on Saturday.

They allegedly took photographs and videos of the Iranian ship that is anchored there as part of a diplomatic decision of the Government of India for life-saving purposes, police said.

The Harbour police arrested the reporter of a prominent TV channel, its cameraman and the speed boat driver under a case registered based on the information received.

According to the FIR, the accused unlawfully trespassed into the Southern Coil Berth (SCB), a high-security area of the Cochin Port harbour in Willington Island, at about 7.50 am.

The accused also attempted to circulate these visuals, which could pose a threat to the security of the country, particularly that of the state, the FIR added.

The Harbour Crime police registered the case under section 329 (3) (criminal trespass) of BNS and relevant sections of the Official Secrets Act.

An investigation is underway, and further details could not be divulged at the moment, police added.

The government on Saturday (March 7) announced standards of green ammonia and green methanol for India to accelerate trade of green hydrogen derivatives under the National Green Hydrogen Mission.

The mission was approved by the Union Cabinet on January 4, 2023, with an initial outlay of Rs 19,744 crore to make India a global hub for production, utilisation and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives.

The standards issued by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), outline the emission thresholds and eligibility conditions that must be complied with in order for ammonia and methanol produced to be classified as 'green', i.e., produced using green hydrogen derived from renewable sources.

Green Ammonia Standard for India shall have a total non-biogenic greenhouse gas emission, arising from green hydrogen production, ammonia synthesis, purification, compression, and on-site storage, of not more than 0.38 kg CO₂ equivalent per kg of ammonia (kg CO₂ eq/kg NH₃), calculated as an average over the preceding 12-month period.

Green Methanol standard for India shall have a total non-biogenic greenhouse gas emission, arising from green hydrogen production, methanol synthesis, purification, and on-site storage, of not more than 0.44 kg CO₂ equivalent per kg of methanol (kg CO₂ eq/kg CH₃OH), calculated as an average over the preceding 12-month period.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has apologised for attacks on regional countries even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states, suggesting Tehran’s political leadership could not exercise full command over the Islamic Republic’s armed forces as an intense campaign of US-Israeli airstrikes rocked the nation, marking one week of the war.

The message from Pezeshkian, one member of a tripartite leadership council overseeing Iran since a February 28 airstrike starting the war killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, again underlined the limited powers being exercised by theocracy’s leaders over its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard. The Guard, which controls the ballistic missiles targeting Israel and others, answered only to Khamenei and appears to be picking its own targets as the conflict widens.

Pezeshkian's message, seemingly filmed in a hurry without professional broadcast equipment, appeared aimed at assuaging growing Gulf Arab anger over the attacks. But Pezeshkian suggested an order to stop attacks came on Friday, hours before a wave of attacks disrupted flights at Dubai International Airport, targeting a major Saudi oil facility and sending people fleeing for cover multiple times in Bahrain.

But Pezeshkian kept up his criticism of the United States, particularly of President Donald Trump's repeated demand that Iran unconditionally surrender to America.

“That's a dream that they should take to their grave," he said.

Pezeshkian's statement on Saturday said the country's three-man leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces over the attacks.

“I should apologise to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” the president said. “From now on, they should not attack neighbouring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.”

At least seven people were killed and 10 others, including three children, were wounded on Saturday (March 7) by a Russian missile that hit a five-story residential building in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, officials said.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack and called for an international response. He said that Russia struck Ukraine overnight with 29 missiles and 480 drones, targeting energy facilities in Kyiv and other central regions and with damage reported in at least seven other locations across the country.

According to preliminary data, air defence systems downed 19 missiles and 453 drones, with hits from 9 missiles and 26 strike drones recorded at 22 locations.

In Kharkiv, in Ukraine's northeast, emergency workers were combing the rubble, looking for survivors.

In the Kyiv region, damage from debris was reported in three districts, according to local authorities. In the southern Odesa region, 80 firefighters were called in to help battle massive fires at infrastructure facilities following an attack with multiple drones. Ukraine's state rail operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, said damage to the rail infrastructure forced changes to a number of routes in the centre-west of the country.

Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday (March 7) urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the safe return of students from Jammu and Kashmir stranded in Iran.

In a post on X, Mufti, a former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, said that as the situation rapidly deteriorates in Iran, thousands of students from the Union territory studying there are currently stranded.

"Urge PM @narendramodi ji for his personal intervention to ensure their safe passage home & also @MEAIndia @DrSJaishankar to initiate evacuation efforts at the earliest," Mufti said.

Dubai and its long-haul carrier Emirates said Saturday (March 7) the airline would resume operations after temporarily halting them following an Iranian attack on the city-state.

The news brought cheers in Dubai International Airport, where passengers had been sheltering after hearing a large boom overhead.

Authorities have not explained if there was an interception or damage at the airport, which is the world's busiest for international travel.

Iran's president said on Saturday (March 7) that a demand by the United States for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should take to their grave.”

President Masoud Pezeshkian made the statement in a pre-recorded address aired by state television. He also apologised for Iran's attacks on regional countries, insisting that Tehran would halt them and suggesting they were caused by miscommunication in the ranks.

The comments came as intense Iranian fire targeted the Gulf Arab states early Saturday as Israel and the United States kept up their airstrikes targeting the Islamic Republic. There were repeated attacks Saturday morning on Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.