Trump says Iran’s ‘unconditional surrender’ is the only way to end the war

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that only Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” would end the escalating war in the Middle East, as crude oil prices surged amid fears of disruptions to global energy supplies.

As Israel stepped up air strikes on Lebanon and announced “broad-scale” attacks on Tehran, the US military said it had struck more than 3,000 targets during the first week of the US-Israeli war against Iran.

The conflict has drawn in countries beyond the region, disrupted global energy and transport sectors, and spread instability to normally calm areas around the Gulf.

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, called for “serious diplomatic negotiations” and warned the crisis could “spiral beyond anyone’s control.”

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin expressed support for an “immediate” ceasefire in Iran during a phone call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, according to the Kremlin.

Trump, who has given differing explanations for launching the war a week earlier, rejected renewed negotiations with Tehran. Writing on his Truth Social platform, he said there would be “no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that once the president determines Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States and the objectives of the military campaign are achieved, “Iran will essentially be in a position of unconditional surrender, whether they say it themselves or not.”

Trump also pledged to help rebuild Iran’s economy if Tehran installs a leader “acceptable” to him to replace Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed last weekend.

Oil markets reacted sharply to the crisis. With the strategic Strait of Hormuz effectively blocked, crude prices surged further on Friday.

The global benchmark, Brent crude from the North Sea, rose to $92.69 per barrel, gaining 8.5 percent in a single day and nearly 30 percent over the week.

‘Humanitarian disaster’

The US military’s regional command, US Central Command, said more than 3,000 Iranian targets had been struck so far, including command-and-control centres, air defence systems, missile launch sites, and naval vessels.

Six US service members have been killed in the fighting, and Trump is expected to attend a dignified transfer ceremony for their remains at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Saturday.

Israeli forces continued heavy bombardment of southern suburbs of Beirut, areas where the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah holds strong influence. Lebanon’s health ministry said the death toll from the strikes has reached 217.

Additional Israeli attacks hit Nabi Sheet in the Baalbek District of eastern Lebanon, killing at least nine people, according to officials.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned that the country faces a looming “humanitarian disaster,” while the Norwegian Refugee Council said about 300,000 people had been displaced.

Three UN peacekeepers were wounded after their base in southern Lebanon was struck on Friday, according to the UN mission and the Ghana Armed Forces.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of deliberately targeting the peacekeepers, while French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the attack as “unacceptable.”

‘Trying to say goodbye’

Tehran endured some of the heaviest bombardment yet on Friday, according to AFP journalists reporting from the Iranian capital.

“It’s really very scary,” said a local businessman who identified himself only as Robert.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that strikes against Iran would “surge dramatically,” while Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said Israeli forces were “crushing the Iranian terrorist regime.”

Iran’s health ministry says 926 people have been killed in US-Israeli strikes, though AFP could not independently verify the figure.

Since the conflict began, Iran has launched missile and drone attacks against Israel and several Gulf states. AFP journalists in Tel Aviv reported hearing multiple explosions on Friday.

At least 10 people have been killed in Israel, according to emergency responders.

Qatar said it had been targeted by 10 Iranian drones, nine of which were intercepted, while the remaining drone landed in an uninhabited area.

Saudi Arabia said it had also intercepted a cruise missile.

In Iraq, several airports were struck on Friday, including facilities at Baghdad International Airport, which hosts a military base and a US diplomatic compound.

The US Embassy in Baghdad warned that Iranian-backed fighters could target hotels in Iraqi Kurdistan frequented by foreigners. Shortly afterward, an explosion was reported in Erbil, with smoke seen rising from a hotel.

At least 13 people, including seven civilians, have been killed in Gulf countries since the war began. Among them was 11-year-old Elena Abdullah Hussein in Kuwait.

Just two hours before her death, the girl called her father at work to tell him she loved him.

“It was as if she was trying to say goodbye,” her father, Abdullah Hussein, told AFP at her funeral.