After US President Donald Trump described Iran’s apology to neighbouring countries as a sign of “defeat”, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday clarified that Tehran would not attack regional countries unless they allowed their territory to be used for attacks against Iran.
“If countries in the region do not cooperate in the US attack on Iran, we will not attack them,” a spokesperson for Pezeshkian’s office said.
Pezeshkian also reiterated Iran’s position in a post on X written in Persian.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasised the preservation and continuation of friendly relations with the governments of the region based on good neighborliness and mutual respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity. This does not negate Iran’s inherent right to defend itself against military aggression by the United States and the Zionist regime.”
Warning Against Cooperation With US Attacks
Many countries in West Asia, including the UAE and Qatar, host US military bases that Iran has been targeting during the conflict, with some strikes causing damage in urban areas.
The deputy head of Pezeshkian’s office said the President’s message was “clear”.
“Iran will never submit to coercion. Our powerful armed forces will give a decisive response to any aggression from US bases in the region,” the official said, according to Reuters and Qatar-based channel Al Jazeera.
What Trump Said
Earlier, Trump had claimed that Iran had “lost” and “surrendered to Middle East neighbours”.
His remarks came after Pezeshkian hinted at de-escalation and apologised to neighbouring countries in the region for attacks.
Pezeshkian had said Iran’s armed forces had been instructed “not to attack or launch missiles at neighbouring countries unless attacked from there”.
He described these countries as “brothers” and said, “We have no intention of attacking neighboring countries.”
Responding to the remarks, Trump wrote on Truth Social that the promise was made possible only because of US and Israeli military pressure.
“Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore. This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack,” Trump wrote.
He also claimed Iran had been “looking to take over and rule the Middle East” and said “it is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years”.
Trump further warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” on Saturday, March 7, adding that areas not previously considered targets could now be attacked because of Iran’s “bad behaviour”.
Strikes Continue Across The Region
Pezeshkian’s apology came earlier in the day even as missiles and drones continued flying toward Gulf and Arab states, according to the Associated Press.
His remarks came exactly a week after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, killing Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and triggering the current war.
Despite the Iranian president’s statement, explosions and air raid sirens were reported in several Gulf cities, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Dubai International Airport also briefly suspended operations on Saturday after what officials described as a “minor incident”.
