Strikes target civilian, energy sites despite Tehran's apology

The United States and Israel continued their attacks against Iran on Saturday, with a massive fire raging at the Shahran oil depot on the outskirts of Tehran following an Israeli attack at night.

Meanwhile, Iran was preparing to reveal its new supreme leader on Sunday. The body tasked with selecting the new leader has reached a decision, though the name has yet to be announced.

"The vote to appoint the leader has taken place and the leader has been chosen," said Ahmad Alamolhoda, a member of the Assembly of Experts, as quoted by Iran's Mehr news agency. He said the secretariat of the body would announce the name later.

The Israeli military has claimed responsibility for striking fuel storage and related sites in Iran that it alleges are affiliated with the armed forces.

Following the incident, Iranian state TV said the attacks on oil depots in Tehran and Alborz provinces led to restrictions on fuel purchases. On Sunday, Iran cut the fuel purchase quota for personal fuel cards in the capital from 30 liters to 20 liters.

Iran's military also reported casualties among US forces and damage to the US infrastructure over the past 24 hours, Mehr reported.

According to Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, 21 personnel were killed and several others wounded from the US Fifth Fleet operating in the region. Around 200 were killed and wounded at the US' Al Dhafra Air Base south of Abu Dhabi.

A tanker vessel owned by the US was targeted in the northern part of the Persian Gulf.

In northern Israel, three drones launched from Lebanon have been downed, The Times of Israel reported. There were no reports of injuries or deaths.

In a video message on Saturday, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to Gulf countries affected by Tehran's actions, saying Iran was targeting US assets in the region. In a post on X, he said this "does not negate Iran's inherent right to defend itself against military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime".

However, Gulf governments fended off fresh Iranian strikes on Sunday despite Tehran's pledge to stop attacking its neighbors.

Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned the "nefarious Iranian attack that targeted infrastructure in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Kuwait".

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Defense said on Sunday that its air defenses neutralized a fresh wave of drone attacks.

In the latest developments on travel, Oman Air announced it was canceling flights to and from Amman, Dubai, Bahrain, Doha, Dammam, Kuwait, Copenhagen, Baghdad and Khasab from March 9 to 15, citing "continued closure of the airspace in the region".

In Israel, the first passengers are leaving the country after the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv partially reopened for outbound flights.

On Saturday, two Air China flights departed from Dubai International Airport, carrying 741 Chinese passengers to Beijing. Several other Chinese and foreign flights also helped stranded travelers leave the United Arab Emirates.

At noon, Zeng Jixin, the newly appointed Chinese ambassador to the UAE, went to the Dubai airport upon his arrival to see off Chinese nationals taking special flights back home. Ou Boqian, Chinese consul-general in Dubai, accompanied him.

The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and well-being of Chinese citizens overseas, Zeng said. Relevant departments and diplomatic missions have made all-out efforts to coordinate flights and provide necessary assistance.

An unidentified object was intercepted near the airport, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend flights as a precaution.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said his country is "in a time of war", in his first public remarks since the conflict escalated across the Gulf.

Speaking during a visit to those injured in recent strikes, he said the UAE is resilient and warned that the country has "thick skin and bitter flesh — we are no easy prey".

He said the government will protect all citizens and residents, calling them part of the nation's family.