Iran president apologizes to neighbors, says strikes will stop unless attacked
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Saturday Tehran will halt attacks on neighboring countries unless Iran is attacked, while apologizing for recent strikes and rejecting calls to surrender.
“Yesterday in the Interim Leadership Council, we decided that from now on, neighboring countries should not be targeted, unless we are attacked from their side,” said Pezeshkian, who is a member of the council alongside Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi of the Assembly of Experts.
The council was formed after US and Israeli strikes last week killed several senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation for the attacks, Iran targeted several countries in the Gulf as well as Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, saying it was striking US positions in neighboring territories. The attacks have also resulted in damage to civilian and economic infrastructure, as well as non-military sites.
“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.”
Referring to regional countries, he said: “They are our brothers, and we are trying to join hands with them and establish peace and tranquility.”
He also warned that neighboring countries should not become a “tool in the hands of imperialism” against Iran.
Meanwhile, on Friday, US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Pezeshkian said in his video message that Iran’s “unconditional surrender” is “a dream they should take to the grave.”
“Yesterday in the Interim Leadership Council, we decided that from now on, neighboring countries should not be targeted, unless we are attacked from their side,” said Pezeshkian, who is a member of the council alongside Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei and Ayatollah Alireza Arafi of the Assembly of Experts.
The council was formed after US and Israeli strikes last week killed several senior Iranian leaders, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
In retaliation for the attacks, Iran targeted several countries in the Gulf as well as Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, saying it was striking US positions in neighboring territories. The attacks have also resulted in damage to civilian and economic infrastructure, as well as non-military sites.
“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.”
Referring to regional countries, he said: “They are our brothers, and we are trying to join hands with them and establish peace and tranquility.”
He also warned that neighboring countries should not become a “tool in the hands of imperialism” against Iran.
Meanwhile, on Friday, US President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!”
Pezeshkian said in his video message that Iran’s “unconditional surrender” is “a dream they should take to the grave.”