US vows to 'surge dramatically' against Iran as Israel intensifies strikes on Tehran, Beirut

On Friday morning, Israeli warplanes descended on Tehran and Beirut with a ferocity that had not been seen since a ceasefire in 2024 ended the previous war between Israel and Hezbollah. The strikes came as Iran launched another round of retaliatory attacks across the region, targeting not just Israel but also the Gulf states where American forces are stationed. By the seventh day of the conflict, there was no visible momentum toward peace. Instead, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood before reporters and promised that the U.S. air campaign against Iran would "surge dramatically."

The scale of the fighting had already expanded far beyond the original Israeli-Iranian confrontation. More than a dozen countries across the Middle East and beyond were now caught in the crossfire. The United States had sunk an Iranian frigate in the Indian Ocean and, on Friday, struck and set ablaze an Iranian drone carrier—a converted container ship roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier, capable of traveling 22,000 nautical miles without refueling. Under cover of darkness, B-2 stealth bombers dropped dozens of 2,000-pound penetrator bombs on deeply buried ballistic missile launchers inside Iran. The Iranian military had not yet acknowledged the attack on the drone carrier, but the U.S. military released black-and-white footage showing the vessel engulfed in flames.

In Beirut, the bombardment was relentless. Israeli warplanes carried out at least eleven strikes late Thursday and into Friday morning, targeting the southern suburbs where Hezbollah maintains its stronghold. Fires erupted near a gas station. Two hospitals evacuated their patients and staff. The Lebanese health ministry reported the death toll had climbed to 123 since hostilities resumed. Tens of thousands of people had already fled Beirut's suburbs and southern Lebanon after Israel issued sweeping evacuation warnings. The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, expressed alarm at what he called "blanket, massive displacement orders" issued by Israel to Lebanese civilians.

Iran's retaliatory strikes fanned out across the region. Missiles and drones targeted not only Israel but also Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain—all countries hosting American military personnel and installations. Qatar said it intercepted a drone attack aimed at Al Udeid Air Base, which houses the forward headquarters of U.S. Central Command. Saudi Arabia destroyed three ballistic missiles fired at Prince Sultan Air Base. Air raid sirens wailed in Bahrain, where Iranian strikes hit two hotels and a residential building. In Kuwait, where six American soldiers had been killed just days earlier, air defenses were activated as missiles breached the airspace. The British government, meanwhile, announced it would send additional Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters to help defend its allies in the region.

The human toll was mounting across multiple countries. At least 1,230 people had been killed in Iran, more than 120 in Lebanon, around a dozen in Israel, and six American troops. The war had disrupted oil supplies and snarled global air travel. Yet the stated objectives kept shifting. The U.S. and Israel had battered Iran with nationwide strikes targeting military capabilities, leadership, and the nuclear program. But American officials had at times suggested the goal extended further—to topple Iran's government or elevate new leadership from within.

That ambition became explicit when President Trump, speaking from the White House, urged the Iranian people to "help take back your country." He promised them "immunity" if they did, though he offered no details about what that protection would entail. "You'll be perfectly safe with total immunity," he said, "or you'll face absolutely guaranteed death." Cooper and Hegseth, however, cautioned Iranians against taking to the streets while the conflict raged. In an interview with Axios, Trump went further, saying he should have a hand in selecting Iran's next supreme leader to replace Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had been killed in the opening strikes. Trump dismissed Khamenei's son, Mojtaba, as "a lightweight" and said the U.S. wanted "someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran."

Inside Iran, a leadership council had begun discussing how to convene the Assembly of Experts, the 88-member clerical body responsible for selecting the new supreme leader. The council included President Masoud Pezeshkian, judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejehi, and cleric Ayatollah Ali Reza Arafi. No timeline was announced, and it remained unclear whether the Assembly would meet in person or remotely. Buildings associated with the Assembly had already been attacked during the Israeli-U.S. airstrike campaign. Meanwhile, Iran's President Pezeshkian said Friday that "some countries" had begun mediation efforts, though he did not elaborate.

The United Nations human rights chief called for de-escalation, saying "the world urgently needs to see steps to contain and extinguish this blaze." But there was little sign that any of the major actors were ready to step back. The conflict had become a regional war with global consequences, and the American government was signaling it intended to shape not just the outcome of the fighting but the future leadership of Iran itself.