Iranian officials have issued a direct threat against Donald Trump, declaring he “must pay,” blaming him for the responsibility in the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, as the escalating conflict between Iran, the United States, and Israel pushes the Middle East closer to a wider war.
Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Larijani, on Saturday, March 7, warned that Tehran will pursue retaliation relentlessly, stating that Trump would not escape punishment.
“We won’t let Trump off the hook; he must pay the price—he’s martyred our leader and our people. This isn’t a simple matter; we won’t let it go until we retaliate in kind.”
Larijani further emphasized that revenge for the killing of their leader would remain a central objective for the country.
“We will relentlessly avenge the blood of our leader and our people. Trump must pay and will pay,” he added.
Iran rejects demand for surrender
The threat comes as Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, rejected demands from Trump for Tehran to surrender unconditionally in the ongoing war. Speaking in a televised address, Pezeshkian dismissed the demand as unrealistic.
“Our enemies must take their dream of the Iranian people’s unconditional surrender to their graves,” he said.
However, the Iranian president also made a rare conciliatory gesture toward neighboring Gulf countries, apologizing for Iranian missile and drone strikes that struck parts of the region during the conflict.
“I personally apologize to neighboring countries that were affected by Iran’s actions,” Pezeshkian said, suggesting Tehran was attempting to limit the diplomatic fallout from attacks that had spread beyond Israel.
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Over the past week, several Gulf states — including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates — have reported drone or missile strikes linked to the confrontation between Iran and its adversaries.
Tehran said its temporary leadership council had approved suspending attacks on nearby countries unless strikes on Iranian territory were launched from those states.
The conflict has disrupted global energy markets and significantly affected air travel routes across the Middle East.
Trump warns Iran of “complete destruction”
Trump had earlier on Friday warned that Iran could face devastating consequences if it refuses to surrender.
“If they do not surrender, it will be hit very hard,” Trump wrote on social media, adding that Iran was “under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death.”
The president also claimed Iran had already apologized to its Middle Eastern neighbors because of mounting military pressure from the United States and Israel.
Meanwhile, Israel on Saturday and Sunday intensified its military campaign against Iran. In a televised statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would continue attacking Iranian targets “with all our might.”
Netanyahu said Israeli and U.S. forces had achieved near-total air superiority over Iranian skies.
“We have almost complete control of the skies over Iran,” he said, adding that Israeli forces had “many more targets and surprises prepared.”
The Israeli leader warned members of Iran’s elite military force, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that they were “in the crosshairs.”
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Shortly before Netanyahu’s remarks, Israeli forces launched another wave of strikes on the Iranian capital, Tehran.
There have been reports of repeated explosions across several parts of the city. Iranian state-affiliated media said one of the targets was an oil refinery in southern Tehran.
Witnesses reported seeing large fires illuminating the night sky, particularly in industrial areas where oil and gas installations are located.
The bombardment reportedly lasted close to an hour, with explosions heard in eastern, southern, and northwestern districts of the capital.
Netanyahu urges Iranians to rise up
PM Netanyahu also called on the Iranian public to challenge the country’s ruling authorities.
“The moment of truth is approaching,” he said. “We will create the conditions that will allow the Iranian people to take their fate into their own hands.”
He insisted Israel’s goal was not to divide Iran but to free it from what he described as tyranny.
The Israeli Air Force on Saturday evening said that the military had identified missiles launched from Iran toward Israel “a short while ago.”
In a statement, the military said that defense systems are operating to intercept the threat.
“In the last few minutes, the Home Front Command has issued a preemptive directive directly to mobile phones in the relevant areas. The public is requested to exercise responsibility and act in accordance with the directives – they save lives,” part of the statement reads.
“One must enter protected spaces upon receiving the alert and remain in them until a new announcement.”
The Israeli Air Force added that exit from the protected space will be permitted only after receiving an explicit directive, urging citizens to continue acting in accordance with Home Front Command directives.
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