WASHINGTON / TEHRAN — U.S. President Donald Trump issued a sharp warning to Iran on Saturday, saying the country “will be hit very hard today,” amid a growing military escalation in the Middle East following recent large-scale Israeli attacks.

In a message posted on social media, Trump said Iran had been forced to apologize to its neighbors in the region after the attacks and had promised not to target them again. According to the U.S. president, this shift came as a result of sustained military pressure from the United States and Israel.

“Iran, which is being beat very badly, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors,” Trump wrote, adding that the country is no longer the “bully of the Middle East,” but instead “the loser of the Middle East.”

The comments came at a time of heightened regional tension. Israel confirmed it had launched a “wave of large-scale strikes” against targets in Tehran using more than 80 fighter jets.

Images broadcast by Iranian state television showed smoke and fire rising near Mehrabad International Airport in the Iranian capital after several explosions were reported in different parts of the city.

Iranian president apologizes

Hours earlier, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, delivered a televised message in which he apologized to neighboring Gulf countries for attacks linked to the conflict.

In his address, he said Tehran would halt attacks against those countries unless strikes against Iran were launched from their territory.

Analysts believe the message was intended to reduce diplomatic pressure at a time when Iran faces continued attacks and mounting international tension.

Political uncertainty in Iran

The crisis is also unfolding amid internal uncertainty following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in recent attacks attributed to U.S. and Israeli forces.

Several influential clerics have called for a swift appointment of a new leader. Among them, Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi urged the country’s Assembly of Experts to resolve the succession quickly to ensure political stability.

Risk of wider regional escalation

Tensions are also spreading to other countries in the region. Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, warned Lebanon that the country would “pay the price” if it fails to disarm the Iran-backed group Hezbollah.

The situation has also affected regional air traffic. Dubai International Airport temporarily suspended operations due to drone attacks in the Gulf area, though flights began gradually resuming hours later.

U.S. soldiers return home

In the United States, the remains of six American service members killed in the conflict will be transferred to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where an official ceremony will take place with the attendance of Trump and Vice President J. D. Vance.

As attacks and warnings continue from both sides, international analysts warn that the current escalation between Israel, Iran, and their allies could reshape the geopolitical balance of the Middle East in the coming weeks.