TEHRAN DAILY - 7 MARCH 2026
Interim Council Offers Conditional Halt on Neighbor Strikes as IRGC Maintains Offensive Tempo and Trump Demands Unconditional Surrender
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Iran Orders Military to Halt Strikes on Neighbors Unless Attacks Originate From Their Territory
President Pezeshkian announces Iran will refrain from attacking neighboring states unless attacks are launched against Iran from their territory, with the decision approved by the country's interim leadership council and apologies issued to affected neighbors.
US Bombers Land in Britain as Pentagon Prepares Surge in Iran Strikes
Three US Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers arrive at RAF Fairford base in Gloucestershire as Pentagon prepares intensified bombing campaign, while Trump threatens Iran will be hit very hard on Saturday.
Iran Threatens Any EU Country Joining US-Israeli Attacks Will Be Legitimate Target
Deputy Foreign Minister Takht-Ravanchi warns that any European Union member state that joins US-Israeli attacks on Iran will become a legitimate target for Iranian retaliation.
DRIVING THE DAY
SUMMARY: President PEZESHKIAN announced on 7 March that Iran will halt strikes on neighboring countries unless attacks originate from their territory—a conditional de-escalation offer that followed Arab League emergency consultations and reflects pressure from Gulf states while preserving Tehran's retaliatory posture. President TRUMP responded by declaring there would be "no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER," marking Washington's starkest regime change demand since the war began, while White House press secretary Karoline LEAVITT stated the U.S. is "well on its way toward controlling Iranian airspace" with achievable objectives expected within four to six weeks. The IRGC sustained offensive operations on 7 March with strikes on the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates targeting satellite communication centers and radar systems, while separately attacking a Malta-flagged oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz—demonstrating Tehran's continued capacity to threaten Gulf energy infrastructure despite U.S. claims of degrading Iranian military capabilities. The succession process entered its eighth day without formal announcement of an Assembly of Experts session, suggesting continued internal deliberation over Mojtaba KHAMENEI's hereditary succession amid wartime pressures. END SUMMARY.
Leadership and Succession—Interim Council Meets for Fourth Time, Assembly Timeline Remains Unannounced
The interim leadership council held its fourth meeting under President PEZESHKIAN's chairmanship on 6 March to address succession arrangements and military response coordination, according to IRNA. The state news agency reported the council made "required arrangements" for the Assembly of Experts to convene to select a new Supreme Leader but provided no specific timeline for the session—the eighth consecutive day without formal announcement since Ali KHAMENEI's death on 28 February. The continued delay suggests either internal dissent over Mojtaba KHAMENEI's candidacy has complicated formalization or the IRGC's earlier push for rapid announcement has encountered resistance from Assembly members concerned about legitimacy during wartime hostilities. IRNA reported the council also took unspecified decisions aimed at strengthening Iran's defensive and retaliatory posture, indicating the interim leadership is coordinating military operations alongside succession planning. The absence of a formal Assembly announcement by 7 March contrasts with Iran International's 5 March reporting that the Assembly would meet Thursday to announce Mojtaba KHAMENEI—suggesting either the timeline has shifted or initial reporting overstated the IRGC's control over the succession process.
