Iran says strikes on US bases in Mideast are self-defense, not hostility

United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan issued a thinly veiled warning to Iran, saying his country is “not easy prey” and referring to Tehran as “the enemy” — a notable departure from the language the UAE has traditionally used toward its northern neighbor.

The president said he “wanted to send a message to the enemy of the UAE.”

Speaking during a visit to a hospital treating civilians wounded in the strikes, he cautioned Iran: “The UAE is beautiful, the UAE is a model to be followed, but I tell you, do not be deceived by that.”

“The UAE’s hand can reach and is strong, its flesh is bitter, and we are not easy prey.”

The comments — his first since the war began — were broadcast shortly after Emirati air defenses responded to a missile threat, despite Iran’s president having suggested earlier in the day that attacks across the Persian Gulf would stop.

“We are carrying out our duty toward our country, our people, and those who live among us. May God protect the UAE, protect its people and everyone in it, and bless it with security and safety,” MBZ added.

“I promise you that what is coming will show us stronger.”

US President Donald Trump left Florida for Dover Air Force base in Delaware to attend the dignified transfer of six American service members killed in the war with Iran.

The remains of the soldiers are expected to arrive at the base at around 1:30 pm local time.

Earlier in the day, he described the deaths as a "very sad situation."

The president said he plans to "greet the families of the heroes coming home from Iran and coming home in a different manner than they thought they'd be coming home."

"They're great heroes in our country, and we're going to keep it that way," he added. "When it comes to war, there's always that."

Ayatollah Mozaffari, a member of Iran’s Assembly of Experts, expressed hope that a session to choose the country’s next supreme leader will take place within the next 24 hours, while stressing that no official meeting has yet been held and no decision has been made.

Informed sources earlier told Iran International that the Assembly of Experts' meeting to announce Mojtaba Khamenei as the new leader was held on Saturday, with at least 14 members boycotting the session.

The meeting took place after the Assembly’s session on Friday — convened to present the candidate favored by the Revolutionary Guard — was left unfinished due to concerns over a possible US and Israeli attack.

The Iranian navy warship's commander refused to allow the crew to abandon Dena despite the imminent threat, the source added.

The sailor’s father said some crew members argued with the commander, and the 32 crew members who survived were mainly sailors who managed to escape on lifeboats, according to the source.

A US submarine torpedoed Dena in the Indian Ocean on Wednesday, about 19 nautical miles from the southern Sri Lankan port of Galle, killing dozens of sailors and significantly expanding Washington’s campaign against Iran’s naval forces.

The sinking of the Dena — described by US War Secretary Pete Hegseth as a “quiet death” — marked the first time since World War II that the United States had torpedoed an enemy warship, underscoring the widening geographic reach of the conflict with Iran.

An internal US State Department cable dated March 6 seen by Reuters said the US urged Sri Lankan authorities not to return the 32 surviving sailors from Dena and the 208 sailors Sri Lanka rescued from naval auxiliary ship IRIS Booshehr.

Israeli strikes hit 16 aircraft belonging to the Quds Force, which oversees Iran's overseas military operations, at Mehrabad Airport in Tehran overnight, the Israeli military said on Saturday, adding the planes had been used to transfer weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The IDF said the strikes were part of a broader wave targeting military infrastructure in Tehran, including facilities at the airport.

It said Mehrabad Airport served as a central hub for the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to move weapons and cash to Iran-backed armed groups across the Middle East.

Several Iranian fighter jets that posed a threat to Israeli aircraft operating in Iranian airspace were also targeted, the Israel Defense Forces said.

The Israeli military also said measures were taken before the strikes to reduce harm to civilians, including the use of precision munitions, aerial surveillance and additional intelligence.