- Israel announcing a "new phase" in the joint war launched almost a week ago with the U.S., heavily bombing Iran's capital, Tehran, as well as Lebanon.
- President Trump appeared to rule out negotiations with Iran, calling for its "unconditional surrender" in a social media post. Mr. Trump has said he wants to be involved in picking Iran's next leader.
- Russia is providing intelligence on U.S. positions to Iran, three sources, including a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge, confirmed to CBS News.
Putin holds call with Iran's president, Kremlin says
The Kremlin early Saturday said that Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
On the call, according to the Kremlin, Putin "reaffirmed Russia's principled stance in favour of an immediate cessation of hostilities, the rejection of force as a method to solve any issues surrounding Iran or arising in the Middle East, and a swift return to the path of diplomatic resolution."
The Kremlin noted that Pezeshkian thanked Putin for Russia's show of "solidarity with the Iranian people."
It remains unclear who is leading Iran following the Feb. 28. killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
This comes after multiple sources on Friday, including a senior U.S. official, told CBS News that amid the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Russia is providing Iran with intelligence regarding U.S. positions in the Middle East.
Russia and Iran have long been allies. In 2023, declassified intelligence showed that Iran had been sending material to Russia that would be used to construct a drone manufacturing facility for use in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Explosions heard in Dubai, Manama
Journalists for Agence France-Presse heard explosions Saturday in Dubai, as well as in Bahrain's capital of Manama.
Two blasts were heard in Dubai and one in Manama, where a warning siren sounded.
"Citizens and residents are urged to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place," Bahrain's interior ministry posted on X.
The Dubai Media Office also said there was a "minor incident" in which debris fell to the ground following the interception of an Iranian missile strike.
Officials also said there were no injuries from the debris, and that reports of a possible impact from the incident to Dubai International Airport were not true.
CBS/AFP
Iran launches early morning missile salvo at Israel, IDF says
Iran launched a round of missiles toward Israel early Saturday morning local time, the Israeli military said.
The launch occurred a little before dawn, the Israel Defense Forces reported on social media.
"Defense systems are operating to intercept the threat," the IDF said of its sophisticated missile defense system known as the Iron Dome.
Alerts had been sent to residents of impacted areas, the IDF said. A journalist for Agence France-Presse reported hearing a blast in Jerusalem after Israel sent out the alert.
Trump says "we're doing very well" in Iran war
President Trump said Friday he believes the U.S. is doing "very well" in its war with Iran.
"Somebody said, 'How would you score it from 0 to 10?' I said I'd give it a 12 to a 15," Mr. Trump told reporters during a White House roundtable about college sports in which he fielded questions on the war.
The president then claimed that Iran's army, navy and communications were "gone," and that its air force had been "wiped out."
He also said that "two sets" of Iranian leaders had been killed, alleging that Iran was "down to their third set," but did not elaborate on who specifically he was referring to.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, and sources told CBS News at the time that the initial strikes were believed to have killed about 40 Iranian officials.
Two U.S. officials told CBS News that among them were believed to be Iranian defense minister Amir Nasirzadeh and Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Mohammed Pakpour.
The president went on to say Friday that he believed the U.S. military was "doing phenomenally."
Over 3,000 targets hit and 43 Iranian ships damaged or destroyed, CENTCOM says
During the first seven days of Operation Epic Fury, the U.S. has hit more than 3,000 targets, and 43 Iranian ships have been damaged or destroyed, U.S. Central Command said Friday.
Data compiled by the CBS News data team tallies the targets of the war so far, as of 5 p.m. ET Friday. The data was collected from a combination of CBS News reporting, visual verification, government estimates and from think tanks like the Institute for the Study of War.
Location of strikes in Middle East war
Known locations of military strikes by U.S. and Israel in Iran and retaliatory strikes by Iran, according to government officials and reporting and imagery verification by CBS News, AP and the Institute for the Study of War. Click unlabeled sites for detail.
2026 U.S., Israeli strikes
Retaliatory strikes by Iran
Israel strikes on Lebanon
2025 U.S. strikes on nuclear sites
Map: John Kelly
Democrats criticize Trump for letting India buy Russian oil amid Iran war
A dozen key Senate Democrats criticized President Trump for temporarily waiving sanctions to allow India to more easily buy Russian oil, accusing him of giving Russian President Vladimir Putin "a free pass" in an effort to quell soaring oil prices.
The senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, called the strikes on Iran "reckless and poorly conceived," and said they have "resulted in huge spikes in gas prices."
"In turn, this self-made global energy shock is serving to enrich Putin and line his war coffers by offering him windfall profits," the senators wrote. "Instead of changing course, the President is only making this situation worse by handing Putin, his shadow fleet, and traders still dealing in sanctioned oil a free pass to increase oil shipments to Russia's second-largest importer."
Investigators believe U.S. may have been responsible for strike on Iran girls' school, source says
U.S. investigators believe the U.S. may have been responsible for a deadly airstrike on a girls' primary school in Iran last weekend, a person familiar with the ongoing inquiry told CBS News Friday.
Investigators believe this because the U.S. was operating in the area while Israel was not, the source said.
Iranian-state media have reported that the strike on Feb. 28, the first day of the war, killed dozens of people, including schoolgirls ages 7 to 12.
The source stressed that no final conclusions have been reached.
Israel was not operating in the area, two sources told CBS News. One of those, an Israeli source, told CBS News that Israel was not behind the attack, and said that the Israeli Air Force was not operating near the school.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CBS News in a statement that the "investigation is ongoing" into the incident.
"There are no conclusions at this time, and it is both irresponsible and false for anyone to claim otherwise," Kelly said. "As we have said, unlike the terrorist Iranian regime, the United States does not target civilians."
Hegseth says Trump is "well aware of who's talking to who" amid reports that Russia aiding Iran
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that President Trump is "well aware of who's talking to who" amid reports that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran on U.S. movements in the region.
Hegseth told Major Garrett in an interview airing Sunday on "60 Minutes" that the U.S. is "tracking everything" and factoring it into battle plans.
"The American people can rest assured their commander-in-chief is well aware of who's talking to who," he said. "And anything that shouldn't be happening, whether it's in public or back-channeled, is being confronted and confronted strongly."
Earlier Friday, multiple sources, including a senior U.S. official, told CBS News that Russia is providing intelligence to Iran regarding U.S. positions in the Middle East. It was the first known indication that Russia is aiding Iran.
A look at the number of strikes carried out in the Middle East war so far
Data compiled by the CBS News data team indicates the number of strikes carried in the Middle East war as of 5 p.m. Eastern Time Friday.
The data was collected from a combination of CBS News reporting, visual verification, government estimates, and from think tanks like the Institute for the Study of War.
The U.S. has struck 27 Iranian military bases and missile launch sites, the data shows, while Iran's strikes have hit at least 12 U.S. and allied military installations.
See the full tally below.
United cancels all flights to Tel Aviv, Dubai through next 2 weeks
United Airlines said Friday it has canceled all flights from the U.S. to Tel Aviv and Dubai through at least March 21 as the war rages on.
The airline said the canceled flights also apply to their corresponding returns. United said it is providing affected customers a travel waiver.
Airspace has been closed across much of the Middle East this week, leaving tens of thousands of travelers stranded and seeking out relief flights out of the region.
A spokesperson for Emirates, one of the two major carriers in the United Arab Emirates, told CBS News Friday it is currently operating at 60% capacity and is still flying to seven U.S. cities.
Emirates carried about 30,000 passengers out of Dubai on Thursday, the spokesperson said.
War fuels mounting concern for safety of Americans jailed in Iran
Advocates for at least four American nationals who were jailed in Iran before the U.S.-Israeli strikes started are growing increasingly concerned about their safety, as intense bombing continues across the country.
Two of those U.S. nationals have been named publicly: 49-year-old Journalist Abdolreza "Reza" Valizadeh, whom the U.S. State Department formally designated as "wrongfully detained" by Iran in May 2025, and 61-year-old Kamran Hekmati, who was arrested in July 2025 while visiting family in Iran.
Both were being held in Tehran's notorious Evin Prison before the war started. There has been no confirmed information on their whereabouts or condition since then.
Nonprofit groups say they are tracking at least two other U.S. nationals believed to be detained in Iran, whose identities CBS News cannot confirm.
Read the full story here.
Trump to attend dignified transfer for servicemembers killed abroad on Saturday
President Trump will attend the dignified transfer for the six U.S. service members killed abroad on Saturday, the White House said.
"President Trump and all Americans grieve for our fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice for our Nation," White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said in a statement to CBS News. "On Saturday, the president will attend the dignified transfer of six of our U.S. military service members lost in Operation Epic Fury to stand alongside their families in grief and honor their legacies."
"These brave heroes represent the very best of our country – and we will never forget their service and sacrifice," she added. "They gave their lives for a courageous mission that President Trump will continue in order to eliminate the threats posed by the sinister Iranian regime and make our Nation and world stronger, safer, and more free than ever before."
Qatar partially reopens airspace to a limited number of flights
Qatar announced Friday that it's partially reopening its airspace to a limited number of flights.
The Qatar Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement that it is partially reopening its airspace for passenger evacuation and air cargo flights "in light of the current circumstances in the region, and in a manner that ensures the continued provision of essential air services."
"QCAA affirms that it continues to operate at the highest level of operational readiness, in close coordination with the competent authorities in the State, in order to ensure the safety and security of passengers and personnel in the civil aviation sector, and to maintain the safe and efficient flow of air navigation in accordance with the highest international standards," the government office said in a statement on social media.
The QCAA also said it is continuously monitoring developments and will keep the public and aviation sector partners informed of any updates in the future.
Trump says defense contractors agreed to "quadruple" production of "exquisite class" weaponry
President Trump said the defense company CEOs he met with on Friday agreed to "quadruple" production of "exquisite class," high-tier weaponry for the Pentagon. The president said he met with the leaders of BAE Systems, Boeing, Honeywell, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon.
"Expansion began three months prior to the meeting, and plants and production of many of these weapons are already under way," the president said on Truth Social. "We have a virtually unlimited supply of Medium and Upper Medium Grade Munitions, which we are using, as an example, in Iran, and recently used in Venezuela. Regardless, however, we have also increased Orders at these levels."
Mr. Trump said they will meet again in two months.
Qatar intercepts 9 drones in latest Iranian wave of attack, defense ministry says
Qatar says it faced another wave of attacks from Iran on Friday, saying it intercepted nine of 10 drones, the country's defense ministry said. One drone hit an uninhabited area and caused no casualties.
The ministry said the Qatar Armed Forces "process full capabilities and resources" to respond to the threat. It urged citizens, residents and visitors to remain calm and adhere to security instructions.
UN chief says violence in the Middle East "could spiral beyond anyone's control"
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that "the stakes could not be higher" amid the escalating violence in the Middle East and called on all parties to stop the fighting.
"All the unlawful attacks in the Middle East and beyond are causing tremendous suffering and harm to civilians throughout the region – and pose a grave a risk to the global economy, particularly to the most vulnerable people," he said in a statement on X. " The situation could spiral beyond anyone's control. It is time to stop the fighting and get to serious diplomatic negotiations."
Trump clarifies demand for "unconditional surrender"
In a phone interview with Axios, the president clarified that his demand for "unconditional surrender" might not necessarily entail a formal declaration from Iran.
"Unconditional surrender could be that [the Iranians] announce it. But it could also be when they can't fight any longer because they don't have anyone or anything to fight with," he told the outlet.
His earlier Truth Social post said that "There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!"
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