Reuters World News - Trump vows to hit harder as Tehran says sorry to neighbors

Episode Date: March 7, 2026

U.S. President says Iran will be hit hard on Saturday, as he weighs new targets. One week into the Iran war, the risks for the U.S. and the administration multiply. Tehran apologizes to its Gulf neighbors but strikes escalate. Hundreds of thousands flee Israeli bombs in Beirut. Russian President Vladimir Putin calls for an immediate end to the Iran war. And the FDA vaccines chief will step down in April. Plus, Formula One enters a new era.  Listen to the Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Find the Recommended Read here. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm your weekend host Sharon Reichgarson. It's Saturday, March 7th. Today. Trump vows to hit new targets in Iran as the war enters its second week, and it's a multi-front firestorm that spells trouble for Trump. Thousands of families flee Beirut with nowhere to go as Israeli bombardment continues. The FDA's vaccine chief is stepping down, and its full speed ahead as Formula 1.4. returns in Australia.

This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, seven days a week. As the war enters its second week, U.S. President Donald Trump is warning Iran that it'll be hit very hard today in a post on social media, adding that he's considering new targets. Tehran, meanwhile, is striking a different tone with its neighbors. President Massoud Peshke and saying, quote, I personally apologize to neighboring countries that were affected by Iran's actions. Trump calling the apology a sign of surrender. Peschkian says the temporary leadership council will suspend attacks on nearby countries unless they're attacked first. Some strikes were heard at U.S. bases in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait as early as this morning.

Meanwhile, Israel and Iran continue to trade attacks. And Israel's also been bombing parts of Western Iran. to support Iranian Kurdish militias who hope to exploit the war, to seize towns near the frontier. That's according to three sources with knowledge of Israel's talks with the factions. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard says it's hit three positions of separatist groups in Iraq's Kurdistan region. The IRGC is also challenging Trump's suggestion that the U.S. Navy could escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz. A spokesperson issuing which sounded like a thinly veiled threat saying we're awaiting their presence. That's according to Iranian state media.

The war has stopped shipping and energy exports through the waterway. One week in, more than 1,300 Iranian civilians have been killed. That's according to Iran's UN ambassador, along with 11 people in Israel and at least six U.S. service members. Foreign policy reporter Matt Svetelnik says that now Trump faces a couple of conflict that's spiraling fast and proving far more unpredictable than the White House expected. Iran has proved to be able, despite all the damage that it suffered disproportionately, to continue launching drones and ballistic missiles, many of which are knocked down. But some of these are making hits in the Gulf states, countries like Oman, the UAE, and Bahrain.

and Israel obviously has been a major target along with U.S. bases in Middle Eastern countries. At the same time, what you have is the threat that Iran poses to the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which one quarter of the world's oil and natural gas flows, and that is brought tanker traffic to a standstill. As long as that goes on, we're going to see oil markets crimping, is going up. And that is, of course, for his MAGA base, which has a strong anti-interventionist element to it and wants him to focus more on economic issues instead of foreign adventures like this, an issue that could impact the midterm elections in November for Congress.

Matt says that as things stand with tanker traffic at a near standstill, there's no clear end in sight. And that has shown to many people that this military action was undertaken precipitously without a great deal of forethought and preparation for the repercussions. There is no end game that has been really clearly laid out. What would victory look like? What would constitute an actual triumph for this administration that has not been explained? Because ultimately, It's not looking at this moment like they're going to have a total regime change by any means. Overnight in Lebanon, Israel launched a rare airborne raid, dropping troops near the town of Nabi Chit. Lebanon's health ministry says at least 16 people were killed in the past day in the area,

and they're warning that number is likely to rise. In Beirut's southern suburbs, meanwhile, thousands of families are on the move, pushed out by days of Israeli airstrikes. Among them is Aliyah Hijazi, who says she's been displaced twice in just four days. She says they were told Dahl would be struck, so they left and now are in the streets, unsure where they're supposed to go,

with no shelter and no options. This man, Jamal Sefadine, says people, says people are sleeping wherever they can, in cars, on the street, and even on the beach. Over to Russia now, where President Vladimir Putin is calling for an immediate end to the Iran war. And in a phone call late yesterday with the Iranian president, he expressed his condolences for the killing of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Haminae. Moscow has criticized the Iran war, and many now question if Trump is the pragmatic, potentially pro-Russia strong man they thought he was.

Our Russia correspondent Andrew Osborne says that worry stems from the fact that nuclear talks with Iran were still happening just two weeks ago. They're saying, well, look, it's obvious that those talks were just a ruse that the U.S. intended to attack Iran all along, which shows that Washington cannot be trusted. The other big concern, of course, for Russia and for Russia's hardliners in particular, is that they believe that Trump is targeting important Russian allies around the world. To learn more about the crisis, tune into our weekend special. Christopher Wal Jasper takes us on assignment with our Middle East-based journalists. They dive deep into the U.S. and Israel's most ambitious operation yet against Iran.

There's a link in today's show notes. And in other news, Homeland Security Secretary Christy Nome is out, but there will be no let up on President Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown. According to current and former U.S. officials and lawmakers, that'll now be driven by his top aide Stephen Miller, along with Homeland Security Secretary nominee Senator Mark Wayne Mullen. Miller's the original architect of Trump's immigration plan, and a White House official says he's, working to ensure the president's agenda is implemented. And another departure, the controversial FDA vaccines chief, Dr. Venae Prasad, is stepping down next month.

Prasad was an outspoken critic of drug and vaccine policies before joining the agency. And his one-year tenure included a series of high-profile disputes over product reviews for vaccines, including Moderna's COVID-shot, gene therapies, and other rare disease drugs. On Friday, thousands attended a public memorial service in Chicago for the late civil rights activist Jesse Jackson. We are living in a time when it can be hard to hope. Former President Barack Obama, along with Joe Biden and Bill Clinton, paid tribute to Jackson's legacy. Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson inspires us to take a harder path. According to a White House official, President Trump did not attend,

because of his schedule. Shifting gears now and Formula One returns this weekend in Melbourne. But things are looking very different on the grid this year. There are new rules, new technology, and a whole new team. We spoke to motorsports correspondent Alan Baldwin ahead of tomorrow's Grand Prix. Drivers are having to respond in different ways to what they're used to. The cars are smaller, lighter, there's 100% sustainable fuel. It's a new challenge for everybody. I mean, Max Verstappen is already said it's like formulaeon steroids with all the energy management and cars are going to be going possibly at different speeds tactically and strategically because there's no more drag reduction system, the DRS that they're used for overtaking. They now have overtake mode or boost mode and you can

push a button, but it becomes more strategic, which is fascinating. For the first time in 10 years, the sport will see an all-new team join the race, US-owned Cadillac. Their entry was only approved a year ago, but Alan says they're looking impressive. They've still managed to get themselves to the point where they have done something like eight race distances in testing already. They've sort of impressed, I think, by the fact that they just got things done. They've got themselves onto the grid. They've got a car that works.

They've got two very experienced drivers in Valtrey Bottas and Sergio Perez, who between them have got 16 wins. They've done a combined 500. 26 races, which is a massive amount. They're very steady old hands who know what they're doing. For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favorite podcast player.

And if you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Reuters seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headline show.