DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran's president apologized Saturday for regional attacks even as its missiles and drones flew toward Gulf Arab states and U.S. President Donald Trump threatened that the country would be “hit very hard.”

President Masoud Pezeshkian, one member of a tripartite leadership council overseeing Iran since Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a Feb. 28 airstrike that started the war, delivered the message a week into the conflict that has spread across the region, rattled global markets and left Iran’s own leadership greatly weakened by hundreds of Israeli and American airstrikes.

The message, seemingly filmed in a hurry without professional broadcast equipment, underlined the limited powers exercised by the theocracy's leaders over its paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which controls the ballistic missiles targeting Israel and other countries. It answered only to Khamenei and now appears to be picking its own targets as the conflict widens.

Shortly after Pezeshkian’s message, Trump warned in a social media post that more Iranian officials would become targets, writing: “Today Iran will be hit very hard!” In his comments on his Truth Social website, Trump noted the apology by Pezeshkian.

“Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” Trump wrote, without elaborating.

While the Iranian president attempted to assuage growing Gulf Arab anger over the attacks, just hours earlier a wave of missiles and drones had disrupted flights at Dubai International Airport, targeted a major Saudi oil facility and sent people fleeing for cover in Bahrain.

Pezeshkian continued to dismiss of Trump’s call for Iran to unconditionally surrender to America.

“That’s a dream that they should take to their grave,” he said.

President says only countries that have attacked Iran will be targeted

Pezeshkian’s statement Saturday said Iran's leadership council had been in touch with the armed forces over the attacks.

“I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” the president said. “From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.”

Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, Iran’s armed forces spokesman, then added more confusion by saying that Tehran has “not hit countries that did not provide space for America to invade our country.”

The American strikes haven’t been coming from the Gulf Arab states now under attack.

Likely in response to the ongoing political confusion, prominent cleric Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi on Saturday urged Iran's Assembly of Experts to act quickly to name a new supreme leader. Buildings associated with the 88-cleric panel have been hit by airstrikes in the war, likely slowing any meeting of the group.

US says more intense bombing lies ahead

Trump's administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel after the U.S. president said he would not negotiate with Iran without its “unconditional surrender” and U.S. officials warned of a bombing campaign they said would be the most intense yet in the weeklong conflict.

Iran's U.N. ambassador said the country would “take all necessary measures” to defend itself.

Associated Press video showed explosions flashing and smoke rising over western Tehran as Israel said it had begun a broad wave of strikes.

The U.S. 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 U.S. has at times suggested it seeks to topple Iran’s government or elevate new leadership from within.

The fighting has killed at least 1,230 people in Iran, more than 200 in Lebanon and 11 in Israel, according to officials in those countries. Six U.S. troops have been killed.

Also, early Saturday, incoming missiles from Iran had people heading to bomb shelters across Israel and loud booms sounded in Jerusalem. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

Strikes target Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Dubai

In a sign of the widening nature of the conflict, sirens sounded early Saturday in Bahrain as Iranian attacks targeted the island kingdom. And Saudi Arabia said it destroyed drones headed toward its vast Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts U.S. forces.

In Dubai, several blasts were heard Saturday morning and the government said it had activated air defenses. Passengers waiting for flights at Dubai International Airport found themselves ushered into train tunnels at the sprawling airfield after the alert sounded.

Later that morning, long-haul carrier Emirates said “all flights to and from Dubai have been suspended until further notice.” Shortly after, the decision was reversed and Emirates said the airline would resume operations.

Fighting in eastern Lebanon kills dozens

The Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with an Israeli force that landed late Friday in the mountains of eastern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes on the eastern town of Nabi Chit and nearby areas left 41 people dead and 40 wounded. The Lebanese army said the dead included three of its troops. The area witnessed intense clashes and airstrikes overnight into Saturday after an Israeli force landed there.

Israel did not acknowledge the fighting, and its military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Israel has carried out waves of airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut, where Hezbollah has a large presence but which is also home to hundreds of thousands of civilians.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry says over 200 people have been killed by Israeli strikes since Monday and over 800 wounded.

Hezbollah also issued a warning Saturday for residents of northern Israeli towns and alert sirens sounded shortly afterward near Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona and Tiberias.

Israel's army said it will not evacuate Israelis but instead will defend them by putting soldiers between villages and Hezbollah.

Iranian naval vessel docked in India

India’s foreign minister said Saturday that an Iranian naval vessel has docked in India.

Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the IRIS Lavan was moored in the southern city of Kochi after India granted permission when the vessel reported “having problems” Sunday. News agency Press Trust of India, citing unnamed “government sources,” had earlier reported that the ship has been in Kochi since Wednesday.

“I think it was the humane thing to do,” Jaishankar said.

A U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Another Iranian vessel, the IRIS Bushehr, requested assistance from Sri Lanka, where more than 200 sailors were being brought ashore.

The ships had previously taken part in naval exercises hosted by India, but Jaishankar said they got “caught on the wrong side of events” once the war began.

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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, and Magdy from Cairo, Egypt. Associated Press journalists Bassem Mroue in Beirut, Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, and Aamer Madhani in Doral, Florida contributed reporting.