Iran’s President Apologises to Gulf States, Orders Halt to Attacks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has apologised to Gulf countries for recent air strikes and announced an order to halt attacks on neighbouring states, amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
In a televised address on Saturday, Pezeshkian said Iran’s interim leadership council had directed the armed forces to stop targeting neighbouring countries unless Iran itself comes under attack.
“From now on, they should not attack neighbouring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked from those countries,” he said.
The president also apologised to Iran’s neighbours, attributing the earlier strikes to confusion within the military following the deaths of senior commanders during the conflict.
He said Iran’s forces had responded aggressively after their leadership was killed in what he described as “barbaric aggression,” adding that troops acted independently in the absence of their commanders.
“Our armed forces fired at will because their commanders were absent and did whatever was necessary. They proudly and powerfully defended our homeland,” Pezeshkian stated.
The apology comes after nearly a week of escalating tit-for-tat attacks in the region, which have rattled Gulf states and unsettled global energy markets.
Shortly after the Iranian president’s remarks, former U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning on his Truth Social platform, saying Iran would face further attacks.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard!” Trump wrote, suggesting that additional Iranian officials and locations could become targets in the ongoing conflict.
Trump also claimed that Pezeshkian’s apology was the result of sustained U.S. and Israeli military pressure, accusing Iran of attempting to dominate the Middle East.
The situation remains uncertain, as Iran’s military commanders traditionally take orders from the country’s supreme leader. Iran currently has no supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was reportedly killed in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes at the start of the war a week ago.
Despite the announcement of a halt to attacks, hostilities appeared to continue. Shortly after the president’s address, an Iranian drone reportedly struck near Dubai International Airport, while Qatar said it intercepted an Iranian ballistic missile.
Meanwhile, the U.S. administration approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel, signalling continued military support as the conflict shows no immediate sign of ending.
