US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would not seek a deal with Iran without the country’s “unconditional surrender” as Washington warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign that officials said would be the most intense of the weeklong conflict.Israel said it began a broad wave of strikes on Tehran early Saturday, with Associated Press video showing explosions and large plumes of smoke billowing over the western part of the capital city.As Israeli warplanes bombed the Iranian capital and Beirut, Iran launched more retaliatory strikes against Israel and Gulf countries on the seventh day of the war. Many thunder-like booms rumbled over Jerusalem just past midnight local time as Israel said it was working to intercept missiles launched from Iran.The US and Israel have battered Iran with strikes, targeting its military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. The stated goals and timelines for the war have repeatedly shifted, as the US has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within.Meanwhile, Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike the US military, according to two officials familiar with US intelligence on the matter. Russian President Vladimir Putin had a call on Friday with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, expressing his condolences over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Kremlin said. – with agenciesUS has given ‘permission’ to India to accept Russian oil: Treasury Secretary BessentMarch 7, 2026 8:14 amThe US said it has given “permission” to India to buy Russian oil that is on ships already floating on waterways with a view to easing supplies around the world amid the West Asia conflict. “The world is very well supplied in oil. Yesterday, the Treasury (Department) agreed to let our allies in India start buying Russian oil that was already on the water,” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview to Fox Business on Friday. “The Indians had been very good actors. We had asked them to stop buying sanctioned Russian oil this fall. They did. They were going to substitute it with US oil. But to ease the temporary gap of oil around the world, we have given them permission to accept the Russian oil. We may unsanction other Russian oil,” he said.