Donald Trump has said the US military is doing “phenomenally” against Iran after he demanded their “unconditional surrender”, as the Middle East is embroiled in the seventh day of a deadly conflict.
Speaking at a ‘Saving College Sports’ round table on Friday, the US president was asked about America’s military campaign in Iran and he declared: “Our military is doing phenomenally”.
His comments come after he promised to “bring Iran back from the brink of destruction” as US-Israeli airstrikes continue to wreak devastation across the country, including in the capital of Tehran.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth earlier promised a “dramatic surge” in attacks on Iran, after more than 1,300 people have already been killed since strikes were launched on Saturday, according to Iranian authorities.
On Friday, US military officials said it was likely that America was responsible for an attack on a girls' school in Iran, which killed more than 160 people, including scores of pupils.
Trump said Iran was still pursuing diplomatic avenues to end the war, but the US was not interested.
Russia is expected to back Iran’s “legitimate rights against aggression” by using its international capabilities, Iranian state media has reported.
Meanwhile, Israel claimed it destroyed the underground bunker of slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Friday.
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Trump-Iran latest: Key Points
- Trump says US military doing 'phenomenally' against Iran
- Trump: There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender
- US military campaign against Iran may take longer than month
- Russia set to back Iran's 'legitimate rights against aggression', state media reports
- Iran's UN envoy says 1,332 Iranian civilians killed in war
- US bomber that can carry 24 cruise missiles and hit 900mph lands in UK
Pete Hegseth responds to reports Russia providing intelligence to Iran: 'We know what's going on'
01:00 , Rachel DobkinUS Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has responded to reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran about American troops’ movements, telling CBS News, “We know what's going on”.
“We’re tracking everything. Our commanders are aware of everything. We have the best intelligence in the world. We’re aware of who’s talking to who, why they're talking to them, how accurate that information might be, how we factor that into our battle plans”, the Pentagon chief said.
Saudi Arabia intercepts ballistic missile headed toward US air base
00:30 , Rachel DobkinSaudi Arabia said early Saturday morning it intercepted a ballistic missile headed toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which the US military uses.
المتحدث الرسمي لـ #وزارة_الدفاع: اعتراض وتدمير صاروخ باليستي أُطلق باتجاه قاعدة الأمير سلطان الجوية. pic.twitter.com/Wx3oqFuZxP
— وزارة الدفاع (@modgovksa) March 7, 2026
Bahrain advises citizens to 'head to the nearest safe place' as sirens sound
00:18 , Rachel DobkinBahrain has advised citizens to “head to the nearest safe place” as sirens sound.
The siren has been sounde .Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.
— Ministry of Interior (@moi_bahrain) March 6, 2026
Yesterday, Iran targeted a hotel and two residential buildings in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. No deaths were reported.
Trump says US military doing 'phenomenally' against Iran
00:04 , Tara CobhamDonald Trump has said the US military is doing “phenomenally” against Iran after he demanded their “unconditional surrender”, as the Middle East is embroiled in the seventh day of a deadly conflict.
Speaking at a ‘Saving College Sports’ round table on Friday, the US president was asked about America’s military campaign in Iran and he declared: “Our military is doing phenomenally.”
'We're a country that has never been respected the way we're respected now,' Trump declares
Friday 6 March 2026 23:45 , Tara CobhamDonald Trump has said that the US is currently “a country that has never been respected the way we're respected now”.
The US president was speaking at a college sports round table on Friday.
Saudi Arabia says it intercepted drones launched at Shaybah oil field
Friday 6 March 2026 23:30 , Tara CobhamSaudi Arabia has intercepted four drones launched towards the Shaybah oil field, the country’s defence ministry has said.
Half of Britons back Starmer's decision to limited UK involvement in US's attack on Iran, poll shows
Friday 6 March 2026 23:15 , Tara CobhamHalf of British voters back Keir Starmer’s decision to limit the UK’s involvement in the US’s attack on Iran, according to a new poll.
While 47 per cent said they opposed the UK taking part in strikes against Iran, only 22 per cent said Britain should support the bombing, the i reported.
US military campaign against Iran may take longer than month
Friday 6 March 2026 23:03 , Tara CobhamThe US’s military campaign against Iran may take longer than a month.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Friday that the US’s operations in Iran are expected to take four to six weeks to complete.
Israel and Iran exchange attacks, Israeli military says
Friday 6 March 2026 23:00 , Tara CobhamThe Israeli military says it has identified missiles launched from Iran towards Israel.
Meanwhile, it said that the Israeli military has begun a new wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure in Tehran.
US says it has damaged or destroyed 43 Iranian warships
Friday 6 March 2026 22:45 , Tara CobhamThe US military has damaged or destroyed 43 Iranian warships so far, US Central Command has said.
Iran's UN envoy says 1,332 Iranian civilians killed in war
Friday 6 March 2026 22:30 , Tara CobhamIran's UN ambassador Amir Saeid Iravani on Friday said at least 1,332 Iranian civilians had lost their lives so far in the conflict with Israel and the United States and thousands more had been injured.
He made his comments while speaking to reporters at the United Nations in New York.
Russia set to back Iran's 'legitimate rights against aggression', state media reports
Friday 6 March 2026 22:25 , Tara CobhamRussia is expected to back Iran’s “legitimate rights against aggression” by using its international capabilities, Iranian state media has reported.
US to send anti-drone system to the Mideast after successful use in Ukraine, officials say
Friday 6 March 2026 22:11 , Tara CobhamAn American anti-drone system proven to work against Russian drones in Ukraine will soon be sent to the Middle East to bolster US defenses against Iranian drones, two US officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
While the US has used Patriot and THAAD missile systems to take down Iranian missiles successfully, there are limited effective anti-drone defenses now in the Middle East, according to a US defense official, one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.
The US response to countering Iran's Shahed drones has been "disappointing," the other US official said, particularly because the drones fired by Iran are a much more basic version of the same drone that Russia is continuously refining and updating in its war in Ukraine.
The effort to bolster US anti-drone capabilities in the Middle East underscores concerns about the planning for an Iranian retaliatory response across the region to the American and Israeli strikes. Persian Gulf countries have complained they were not given adequate time to prepare for the torrent of Iranian drones and missiles bombarding their territory.
The system that is being sent, known as Merops, flies drones against drones. It is small enough to fit in the back of a midsize pickup truck, can identify drones and close in on them, using artificial intelligence to navigate when satellite and electronic communications are jammed.
European countries joining US-Israeli attacks would become Iran's 'legitimate target', deputy minister says
Friday 6 March 2026 22:00 , Tara CobhamEuropean countries that join the US and Israeli attacks on Iran would become "legitimate targets" for Iran, Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi said in an interview with TV station France 24.
"Any country that joins in the aggression against Iran, joins America and Israel in the aggression against Iran, definitely, they will be also legitimate targets for Iran retaliation," Takht-Ravanchi said.
Fire breaks out in US firms' offices and warehouses in Iraq after attack, security sources say
Friday 6 March 2026 21:57 , Tara CobhamFire broke out in offices and warehouses belonging to US firms Halliburton and KBR after a drone attack in Iraq's Basra targeted acompound housing employees of foreign oil companies, security sources told Reuters on Friday.
UK ready to support defence of Saudi, Starmer tells MBS
Friday 6 March 2026 21:45 , Tara CobhamThe UK stands ready to support the defence of Saudi Arabia should it be needed, Sir Keir Starmer has told the country's de facto leader Mohammed bin Salman.
In a readout of a call between the two men, a Downing Street spokeswoman said: "The Prime Minister spoke to his royal highness Mohammed bin Salman, crown prince of Saudi Arabia this evening, following the Iranian regime's strikes on the kingdom and its partners.
"Additional British fighter jets, helicopters and a destroyer were being sent to the region, and the UK stood ready to support the defence of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia should it be needed, the Prime Minister said.
"The leaders also discussed stepping up intelligence cooperation to support defensive operations and protect civilians.
"Turning to energy resilience, the crown prince outlined the steps the kingdom had taken to boost global oil supply and support market stability.
"The leaders agreed to stay in close touch over the coming days and weeks."
Trump: concluded good meeting with largest defense manufacturers
Friday 6 March 2026 21:31 , Tara CobhamUS President Donald Trump said on Friday he had concluded a good meeting with the country's largest defence manufacturers, who he said he had agreed to boost production of some precision guided weapons.
Trump made his comments in a Truth Social post.
Iran has not closed Strait of Hormuz but Israeli and US ships banned, military says
Friday 6 March 2026 21:30 , Tara CobhamIran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz but ships linked to Israel or the US are not allowed to pass, a senior military spokesman has told Iranian state TV.
Drone targets hotel in Iraq's Erbil, security sources say
Friday 6 March 2026 21:15 , Tara CobhamA drone targeted Erbil Arjaanby Rotana hotel in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Friday, security sources said.
The US embassy in Baghdad has said earlier on Friday that Iran-aligned militia groups may seek to target hotels frequented by foreigners in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, according to a post on X.
Saudi Arabia has intensified direct line to Iran to defuse war, according to reports
Friday 6 March 2026 21:00 , Tara CobhamSaudi Arabia has intensified direct engagement with Iran to help contain a war in the Middle East, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing several European officials.
Saudi officials in recent days have used their diplomatic backchannel to Iran with increased urgency to ease tensions and keep the conflict from worsening, the report said.
Ghana peacekeeping battalion hit by missile attacks in Lebanon, Ghana army says
Friday 6 March 2026 20:45 , Tara CobhamThe headquarters of Ghana's United Nations peacekeeping battalion in Lebanon was hit by missile attacks on Friday, leaving two soldiers critically injured, Ghana's armed forces said in a statement.
Iran's president holds phone call with Putin over Middle East conflict, according to reports
Friday 6 March 2026 20:30 , Tara CobhamIranian president Masoud Pezeshkian has held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East, Iran’s state news agency reports.
US bomber that can carry 24 cruise missiles and hit 900mph lands in UK
Friday 6 March 2026 20:19 , Tara CobhamA huge American bomber capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles has landed in the UK after the US defence secretary warned of a "surge" in strikes on Iran.
The 146ft B-1 Lancer has a wingspan of 137ft, weighs 86 tonnes and is the fastest bomber in the US Air Force, according to Boeing, hitting speeds of more than 900mph.
Piloted by a crew of four, "the Bone" - as the aircraft is nicknamed - has advanced radar and GPS systems to help hit targets, and electronic jammers, radar warnings and a decoy system to protect it from enemies.
The B-1, which has been used in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq, can carry up to 34 tonnes of weapons and equipment.
A bomber was pictured arriving at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday after Sir Keir Starmer granted the US permission to strike defensively against Iran's missile facilities from British bases.
Western officials confirmed on Wednesday that US aircraft were expected at the base in the coming days and Britain was ready to accept them.
US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that strikes on Iran are "about to surge dramatically".
He said: "It's more fighter squadrons, it's more capabilities, it's more defensive capabilities. And it's more bomber pulses more frequently."
Protests are expected at RAF Fairford on Saturday afternoon to oppose any use of the base by US bombers.
Editorial: The British position on Trump’s Iran war risks becoming blurred
Friday 6 March 2026 20:10 , Tara CobhamSir Keir Starmer promised the nation that he was determined to deliver “calm, level-headed leadership” as the conflict in the Middle East widens – “no matter the pressure to do otherwise”. This is admirable, as is his general reluctance to see Britain dragged inexorably into the increasingly unpredictable and deeply unpopular war on Iran, launched last weekend by the US and Israel. As the prime minister has indicated, it is not part of his job to simply ask “How high?” every time Donald Trump tells him to jump.
International law matters, but so does the British national interest, and it is not going to be served by deeper and deeper involvement in a campaign with no clear aims and no plan for what to do with Iran when the fighting eventually stops. Indeed, turning it into yet another failed state, torn apart by a civil war, is in the interests of no one in the region or the wider world – with the possible exception of Israel, now apparently taking the chance to occupy southern Lebanon again. Britain should have no part in that.
Read more here:
The British position on Trump’s Iran war risks becoming blurred
Full story: Bombing of girls school in Iran which killed 150 was probably US air strike, military investigators believe
Friday 6 March 2026 19:50 , Tara CobhamU.S. military investigators reportedly believe American forces were likely responsible for a strike on an Iranian school in Minab in what analysts and human rights officials believe is the deadliest incident for civilian casualties since Donald Trump’s administration and Israeli forces began attacking the country.
Neither U.S. or Israeli officials have publicly taken responsibility for the strike, which killed 150 students, according to Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva. The total death toll, which has reportedly exceeded 175 people, has not been independently confirmed.
Citing two U.S. officials, Reuters reported that military investigators have not yet reached a conclusion in an investigation but believe evidence shows the U.S. is responsible for the attack; Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the White House have confirmed that the Pentagon is investigating.
Alex Woodward reports:
Military investigators believe US bombed Iranian girls’ school
Russia provides Iran with information to strike US military
Friday 6 March 2026 19:35 , Shaheena UddinRussia has given Iran information that could help its capital Tehran attack American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials with US intelligence on the matter.
The anonymous officials, who could not comment publicly on the sensitive matter, warned that the US intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information.
This is the first indication that Moscow has tried to get involved in the war that the US and Israel launched on Iran a week ago.
Russia has since strengthened its relationship with Iran as it searched for much-needed missiles and drones to utilise in its four-year war Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Tehran, has been isolated for years over its nuclear program and its support of proxy groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.
Watch: Leavitt outlines what Trump's 'unconditional surrender' of Iran means
Friday 6 March 2026 19:30 , Tara CobhamUS pressing Sri Lanka not to repatriate Iranian crew and survivors from sunken ship, according to reports
Friday 6 March 2026 19:10 , Tara CobhamThe US is pressing Sri Lanka's government not to repatriate the survivors from the Iranian warship it sank this week, as well as the crew of a second Iranian ship that is in Sri Lankan custody, according to an internal State Department cable, Reuters reported on Friday.
A US submarine sank the IRIS Dena warship in the Indian Ocean about 19 nautical miles off Sri Lanka's southern port city of Galle on Wednesday, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington's pursuit of the Iranian navy.
On Thursday, Sri Lanka began offloading 208 crew members from a second Iranian ship, the naval auxiliary vessel IRIS Booshehr, which had found itself stranded in Sri Lanka's exclusive economic zone but outside its maritime boundary.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said his island nation had a "humanitarian responsibility" to take in the crew.
The torpedoing of the Dena - which US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described as "quiet death" - was the first such action by the US since World War Two and a clear sign of the Iran conflict's widening geographic scope.
The internal State Department cable, which was dated 6 March and has not been previously reported, said Jayne Howell, the charge d'affaires at the US embassy in Colombo, had emphasised to Sri Lanka's government that neither the Booshehr crew nor the 32 Dena survivors should be repatriated to Iran.
It said: "Sri Lankan authorities should minimize Iranian attempts to use the detainees for propaganda."
The State Department did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Representatives for Dissanayake's office and Sri Lanka's foreign ministry were not immediately available for comment.
Trump's demand for 'unconditional surrender' means Iran must 'no longer pose a threat' to US
Friday 6 March 2026 18:51 , Tara CobhamWhen US president Donald Trump demands “unconditional surrender” from Iran, he means Iran must “no longer pose a threat” to America, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has explained.
She told Fox News: “What President Trump means when he says unconditional surrender is when he, as commander in chief of the United States military and the leader of the free world, determines that Iran could no longer pose a threat to the United States of America and to our troops and our personnel in the Middle East.
“That is, again, the ultimate goal of Operation Epic Fury. To annihilate their navy, take their ballistic missile threat… and then of course to ensure they can never obtain a nuclear weapon, to significantly weaken their proxies in the region…
“We’re already well on our way to achieving the objectives… and when the president determines that Iran no longer poses that threat, that’s when that unconditional surrender will take place.”
US looking at 'a number' people who could lead Iran
Friday 6 March 2026 18:39 , Tara CobhamThere are “a number” of people whom the US are looking at to lead Iran, the White House’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.
Iran-aligned militia may target hotels frequented by foreigners in Iraqi Kurdistan, US warns
Friday 6 March 2026 18:38 , Tara CobhamIran-aligned militia groups may seek to target hotels frequented by foreigners in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, the US embassy in Baghdad has warned in a post on X.
الموضوع: تنبيه أمني – سفارة الولايات المتحدة في بغداد، العراق – 6 آذار 2026
— U.S. Embassy Baghdad (@USEmbBaghdad) March 6, 2026
الموقع: العراق
الحدث
تحديث: قد تسعى الميليشيات الإرهابية المتحالفة مع إيران إلى استهداف الفنادق التي يرتادها الأجانب في إقليم كردستان العراق. نحث المواطنين الأمريكيين بشدة على المغادرة حالما يتمكنوا من… pic.twitter.com/KPpI8xkvNR
Macron praises Iraqi PM for his action to keep out of conflict
Friday 6 March 2026 18:30 , Tara CobhamFrench President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday he spoke to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and praised his efforts to keep his country out of the conflict inthe Middle East.
"I reiterated my support for his resolute action to prevent Iraq from being drawn into the conflict," Macron said in a post on social media X.
تحدثتُ للتو مع رئيس الوزراء العراقي محمد شياع السوداني.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 6, 2026
وأعربتُ له عن تضامن فرنسا الكامل مع العراق في مواجهة التصعيد الجاري في الشرق الادنى و الشرق الأوسط. وجددتُ دعمي لجهوده الحازمة من أجل عدم جرّ العراق إلى هذا النزاع.…
US 'well on our way' to controlling Iranian airspace
Friday 6 March 2026 18:25 , Tara CobhamThe US is “well on our way” to controlling Iranian airspace, the White House’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.
US operations in Iran to take 'four to six weeks to complete'
Friday 6 March 2026 18:24 , Tara CobhamThe US’s operations in Iran are expected to take four to six weeks to complete, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt
US has enough weapons stockpiles to meet 'operational needs' in Iran
Friday 6 March 2026 18:21 , Tara CobhamThe US has enough weapons stockpiles to meet “operational needs” in Iran, the White House’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said.
Comment: How the Iran war is underpinned by End Times religious fervour in Washington and Tehran
Friday 6 March 2026 18:15 , Tara CobhamAmerica has no plan. Donald Trump has admitted that the people Washington had in mind to run Iran are now dead - and other candidates may soon die. So it may appear that the US-Israeli war machine will achieve no victory because there is no definition of what that may look like.
But it is, to quote Senator Elizabeth Warren who spoke after an in-depth White House briefing on the war, “much worse than that”.
We have been here before - and learned very few lessons.
World affairs editor Sam Kiley reports:
How the Iran war shows End Times religious fervour gripping Washington and Tehran
Israel says it struck Iranian Revolutionary Guard command centre in Beirut
Friday 6 March 2026 18:08 , Tara CobhamThe Israeli military has said its air force struck an Iranian Revolutionary Guard air force command centre in Beirut’s Dahiyeh suburb on Friday.
US vows retaliation for Iran’s reported targeting of civilian areas in Bahrain
Friday 6 March 2026 18:06 , Tara CobhamUS Central Command has vowed retaliation for Iran’s reported targeting of civilian areas in Bahrain.
Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander, said in a statement: “The Iranian terrorist regime has attacked 12 different countries and continues to deliberately target civilians throughout the Middle East.
“Last night, Iranian forces fired seven attack drones at civilian, residential neighbourhoods in Bahrain. This is unacceptable and will not go unanswered.
“We will continue working with regional partners to address this threat to innocent people across the region.”
Statement from Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander: pic.twitter.com/4UzS3SyFrh
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 6, 2026
Search team leave Watford house after police raid following arrests over Iran
Friday 6 March 2026 18:00 , Tara CobhamA specialist search team at a house in Watford have left the property following a police raid on Friday morning.
The house is believed to be linked to four arrests made on Friday morning on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service.
A group of seven plain clothed police officers left the house on Brookdene Avenue at 4:30pm carrying a ladder, camera and lighting equipment.
330,000 people forcibly displaced due to Middle East conflict, UN says
Friday 6 March 2026 17:45 , Tara CobhamMore than 330,000 people have been forcibly displaced as a result of the escalating conflict in the Middle East, according to the UNHCR.
Based on government sources, these people have mostly been displaced within their own countries.
In Iran, around 100,000 people left Tehran in the first two days following the US-Israeli attacks on Saturday, according to local estimates. However, there has so far been no significant increase in cross‑border movements from Iran linked to recent events. Iran already hosts around 1.65 million people forced to flee, mostly from Afghanistan.
More than 96,000 people are now sheltering in nearly 440 collective sites in Lebanon, the government reports.
Authorities report over 30,000 people –mostly Syrians but also some Lebanese – have crossed into Syria since the escalation began. Cross-border movements remain largely unchanged at the Iraq, Armenia, and Türkiye border crossings.
US Army training exercise 'cancellation' fuels speculation troops may be deployed to Middle East
Friday 6 March 2026 17:29 , Tara CobhamA major US Army training exercise has been cancelled in recent days, according to reports, fuelling speculation that troops might be deployed to the Middle East.
The elite 82nd Airborne Division, an elite paratrooper unit that specialises in ground combat and other fraught missions, is awaiting orders after the sudden plan change, the Washington Post reported.
Italy sending navy vessel on mission to help protect Cyprus
Friday 6 March 2026 17:15 , Tara CobhamAn Italian navy vessel is preparing to sail to Cyprus, a navy spokesperson said on Friday, as part of a joint European mission to protect the island after it came under Iranian fire this week.
The Federico Martinengo frigate will be deployed in the Cyprus area as part of a coordinated mission also involving France, Spain and the Netherlands.
A British Royal Air Force base in Cyprus was targeted on Monday by an Iranian-made drone following the US and Israeli attack against Tehran.
The Italian navy said around 160 crew members will be on board the vessel, which is expected to depart from Italy by Saturday.
Iran says it launches attack on US forces in Bahrain
Friday 6 March 2026 17:12 , Tara CobhamIran has launched an attack on US forces in Bahrain, an Iranian military spokesman has said, according to state media.
Iran conflict threatens new UK cost of living crisis as energy markets in ‘turmoil’ and mortgage rates on the rise
Friday 6 March 2026 17:00 , Tara CobhamA surge in oil prices due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East has prompted fears of a new cost of living crisis in the UK.
Experts are warning that rising prices and energy bills could fuel higher inflation, having a knock-on impact on mortgages, savings and spiralling food costs.
Markets are bracing for longer-lasting volatility as the US and Israel continue to strike Iran, with Tehran authorising revenge attacks in countries across the region and impacting the passage of goods through the Strait of Hormuz.
Holly Evans reports:
Iran conflict threatens new cost of living crisis in Britain
Iran fires at civilian neighbourhoods in Bahrain, US says
Friday 6 March 2026 16:45 , Tara CobhamIranian forces have fired seven attack drones at civilian and residential neighbourhoods in Bahrain on Thursday night, US central command has said.
Trump says Cuba is 'gonna fall pretty soon’
Friday 6 March 2026 16:40 , Daniel KeaneDonald Trump told CNN in an interview on Friday that he believes his administration is close to toppling the communist government that has led Cuba, the Caribbean island just 90 miles off the Florida coast, since 1959.
“Cuba is gonna fall pretty soon,” said the president, who spoke with CNN correspondent Dana Bash by phone.
“They want to make a deal, and so I’m going to put Marco [Rubio] over there and we’ll see how that works out. We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready — after 50 years,” Trump continued.
Russia providing Iran with intelligence to target US forces, reports Washington Post
Friday 6 March 2026 16:20 , Maira ButtRussia is providing Iran with information including the locations of US warships and aircraft in the Middle East, the Washington Post has reported.
The extent of the assistance was not clear but the Post reported that Iran’s military capabilities to locate US forces had been degraded since the onslaught of hostilities.
What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and does it operate in the UK?
Friday 6 March 2026 15:55 , Maira ButtFour men have been arrested on suspicion of spying on locations and individuals linked to the Jewish community in London for Iran.
While the Metropolitan Police has not said the suspects were working for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the military branch has a history of operating inside the UK.
Just this week, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for the UK Government to introduce emergency legislation to proscribe the IRGC as a terrorist organisation, arguing it is “more desperate and dangerous than ever”.
What is Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and does it operate in the UK?
Trump says thousands of people being moved out of Middle East 'quietly, but seamlessly'
Friday 6 March 2026 15:40 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump has said that the United States is moving thousands of people out of countries throughout the Middle East.
“It is being done quietly, but seamlessly,” he said in a social media post on Friday.
Iran's military warns Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government that it will take strong action against any move to deploy hostile forces
Friday 6 March 2026 15:30 , Maira ButtThe Iranian military has warned Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government that it will take strong action against any move to deploy hostile forces along the Iranian border, Iran’s state media has reported on Friday.
It comes after reports earlier in the week suggested that the CIA was exploring options to arm Kurdish forces to incite an uprising in Iran.
A spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government denied the claims this morning calling them “entirely baseless” and “maliciously disseminated”.
Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’ from Iran and trots out MAGA-like acronym for his vision of post-war landscape
Friday 6 March 2026 15:20 , Maira ButtPresident Donald Trump on Friday said the U.S. would accept no negotiated settlement with Iran short of “unconditional surrender” and repeated his demand for input into Tehran’s choice of a new supreme leader nearly a week into the joint American-Israeli bombing campaign against the Islamic Republic.
Writing on Truth Social, Trump wrote there would be “no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” and called for the selection of a “GREAT [and] ACCEPTABLE” leader or leaders to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed by an Israeli bomb strike at the outset of the nearly week-old war.
The president added that once those conditions were met, the U.S. and “many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners” would “work tirelessly” to reconstruct Iran and its’ economy by bringing it “back from the brink of destruction” and “making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before.”
The Independent’s White House correspondent Andrew Feinberg reports:
Trump demands ‘unconditional surrender’ from Iran and trots out MAGA-like slogan
US military exploring plans to get ships through Strait of Hormuz, says White House
Friday 6 March 2026 15:10 , Maira ButtThe US military is putting together a plan to get ships through the Strait of Hormuz, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told CNBC and Bloomberg Television on Friday.
One of the world’s major shipping routes, the waterway has reportedly been under the “complete control” of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, paralysing the movement of oil, energy and other shipments.
At least 217 dead in Lebanon
Friday 6 March 2026 15:00 , Maira ButtAt least 217 people have been killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon since Monday, health authorities have confirmed.
Citizens fled Beirut on Friday as Israeli bombardment intensified. Hezbollah warned Israeli citizens to evacuate areas on the border of the countries.
EU leaders to talk to Middle Eastern leaders on Monday
Friday 6 March 2026 14:51 , Maira ButtEuropean Union leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen will hold a video conference with Middle Eastern leaders on Monday, a spokesperson for Mr Costa has said.
“This exchange will provide an opportunity to hear leaders' assessments of the situation and to discuss further support from the EU and its member states to countries in the region, as well as ways to bring the current conflict to an end,” they said.
Watch: Badenoch backs RAF jets striking Iranian missile sites
Friday 6 March 2026 14:41 , Maira Butt‘The worst night so far’: Fear grips Tehran as US-Israeli bombs reduce neighbourhoods to rubble
Friday 6 March 2026 14:32 , Maira ButtTehran was rocked by the worst night of bombing so far as the US and Israel escalated missile strikes on the capital overnight.
Israel said it had launched a “broad-scale wave of strikes” against the Islamic Republic in its ongoing effort to overthrow the regime, which it has openly declared as a key war aim.
Tehran came under intense bombardment on Friday morning with explosions heard across the city and plumes of smoke and fire lighting up the skies.
Hybrid drone and missile attacks against Israel were launched by Iran in response.
Fear grips Tehran as ‘worst night’ of US-Israeli bombs turns neighbourhoods to rubble
Trump: There will be no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender
Friday 6 March 2026 14:18 , Alex CroftDonald Trump has said there will be “no deal with Iran except unconditional surrender” in his latest social media tirade.
Here is what the US president said on Truth Social:
There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! 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!).” Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Dubai residents receive alerts of missile threats
Friday 6 March 2026 08:20 , Maira ButtResidents in Dubai have received mobile phone alerts warning them of missile threats, witnesses have told Reuters.