Day 7 of the war in Iran: Trump demands unconditional surrender, oil breaks through $90, Russia helping Tehran

The seventh day of the war between the US, Israel and Iran brought dramatic escalation on several fronts. President Trump rejected any deal with Tehran, Brent crude oil broke through the $90-per-barrel mark for the first time since April 2024, and the Washington Post revealed that Russia is actively helping Iran with intelligence on the positions of American ships.

TRUMP: ONLY UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER

President Donald Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social on Friday: "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!" He also repeated that he wants to have a direct say in choosing Iran's new leader. According to Trump, Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the slain supreme leader, is "unacceptable," and the American side has "a few people who would do a good job." NBC News ↗

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi categorically rejected a ceasefire in an exclusive interview with NBC News. "There is no reason why we should negotiate" with the US, he said, adding that Iran is prepared to repel a possible ground invasion. NBC News ↗

ISRAEL DESTROYED KHAMENEI'S BUNKER

The Israeli military announced that 50 fighter jets attacked an underground bunker complex beneath a command headquarters in central Tehran. The bunker contained "numerous entrances and meeting rooms" and was intended for the slain supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who however "did not manage to use it" — he was killed in the first wave of strikes on February 28. NBC News ↗

Israel claims it has destroyed 80 percent of Iran's air defense and 60 percent of its missile-launching capability. According to Al Jazeera, the number of Iranian ballistic attacks has fallen by 90 percent and drone attacks by 83 percent since the start of the conflict. Al Jazeera ↗

RUSSIA HELPING IRAN WITH INTELLIGENCE

The Washington Post reported that Russia is providing Iran with high-quality intelligence on the positions of American military ships and aircraft in the Middle East. The information is said to be helping Tehran attack American targets in the Persian Gulf. This is the clearest evidence yet of Moscow's indirect involvement in the conflict, although the Kremlin claims it is not participating in the war. CBS News ↗

Meanwhile, Britain detained four people suspected of spying for Iran. Al Jazeera ↗

AMERICAN SUBMARINE TORPEDOED IRANIAN FRIGATE

In one of the most dramatic naval incidents since World War II, an American submarine torpedoed the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka. 87 crew members were killed, 32 were rescued. This is the first sinking of a warship by torpedo by the US Navy since 1945. CNN ↗

OIL BREAKS THROUGH $90, MARKETS IN PANIC

The global benchmark Brent crude oil exceeded $90 per barrel on Friday — the highest level since April 2024. American WTI crude rose to almost $89. For the week as a whole, Brent gained 22 percent and WTI 28 percent. Wall Street analysts warn that if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked for longer, oil could exceed $100, which could lead to a global recession. CNBC ↗

The Dow Jones lost approximately 900 points (2 percent). The drop was also fueled by negative labor market data — the US economy unexpectedly lost 92,000 jobs in February. The average price of gasoline in the US rose to $3.32 per gallon, an increase of 34 cents over the week — the largest weekly jump since March 2022. CNBC ↗

Iraq announced it has cut oil production by 1.5 million barrels per day, as it is running out of storage capacity due to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. CNBC ↗

LEBANON — A NEW FRONT

Israel launched massive overnight attacks on the southern suburbs of Beirut — a stronghold of Hezbollah. The Israeli military announced the killing of Hezbollah commander Zaid Ali Jumaa, whom it described as a leading figure in the group's rocket and drone operations. Since the start of the war, 123 people have died in Lebanon, more than 600 have been injured, and 95,000 people have had to leave their homes. NPR ↗

SCHOOL ATTACK — PENTAGON INVESTIGATING

American officials admitted to Congress that the US struck an area where a girls' elementary school stood in the city of Minab. 165 girls and staff were killed in the attack. According to NPR, satellite images show that the destruction was more extensive than originally reported. The Pentagon is investigating the incident. NPR ↗

IRAN IN DIGITAL DARKNESS

According to the organization NetBlocks, Iran remains in "digital darkness" for the sixth day — internet connectivity is at one percent. The outage makes it impossible for civilians to communicate and complicates independent verification of information from the country. NBC News ↗

REGIONAL ESCALATION

Iran continues to attack American allies in the region. On Friday, Iranian missiles hit an oil refinery in Bahrain. The UAE intercepted more than 120 drones and several missiles. Qatar intercepted an Iranian drone heading toward Al Udeid Air Base. Approximately 20,000 Americans are being evacuated from the Middle East. Al Jazeera ↗

Azerbaijan announced that Iranian drones hit an airport in its exclave of Nakhchivan and narrowly missed a school. Four people were injured. Al Jazeera ↗

UKRAINE OFFERS EXPERTISE

Ukraine, which has years of experience shooting down Iranian Shahed drones, has offered assistance to the US and Israel. "We know the Shaheds," a Ukrainian official told Al Jazeera. Ukrainian drone manufacturer Ukrspecsystems opened a factory in Mildenhall, England, with a capacity of a thousand drones per month. Ukrainian military personnel are expected to arrive in the Persian Gulf soon. Al Jazeera ↗

MERZ WARNS OF IRAN'S COLLAPSE

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned that the collapse of Iran could trigger massive uncontrolled migration to Europe. He called for an end to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program and stressed the need for a controlled transfer of power in the country. Al Jazeera ↗

Meanwhile, Europol warned of the war's impact on security in the European Union and highlighted the risk of terrorist attacks by Iranian proxy groups on European territory.