Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has apologised for its attack on neighbouring countries. In a prerecorded video broadcast by Iranian state TV, he stated that the country’s neighbours will not be targeted unless attacks are launched from their land. This comes after 8 days of Iran’s strikes against the Gulf countries, as a response to the US-Israel attack on February 28. Despite continued missile activity in UAE, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, he reiterated on X, formerly Twitter, that Iran’s defensive operations are directed only at targets and facilities that are the origin and source of aggressive actions against the Iranian nation. He vowed that Tehran would not surrender and that the ‘enemies must take their wish for the surrender of the Iranian people to their graves.’
He further stated in the video message that the Iranian Interim Leadership Council had decided that further strikes would not be carried out. Prior to this, Gulf countries, including the UAE, had said they would not allow their airspace, land, or waters to be used in any hostile military actions against Iran. The interim council was created following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, on February 28. The council includes the president, Judiciary Chief Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, and a senior cleric chosen by the Assembly of Experts until a new Supreme Leader is appointed.
The president added, “We lost our Supreme Leader, our compatriots and loved ones. Our armed forces, when their commanders were gone, conducted the operations that were necessary and protected our country with strength.” Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also said the country is now operating under its long‑standing ‘mosaic defence doctrine’, which allows local commanders to make independent battlefield decisions in situations where the central leadership is disrupted or destroyed. This suggests that some decisions may have been taken by field commanders acting independently.
It is important to note that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a major branch of the Iranian Armed Forces, is under the direct control of Iran’s Supreme Leader and not the president. With the death of Ayatollah Khamenei, that leadership position is now vacant, and the president’s authority over the IRGC is significantly weaker. Currently, the IRGC is led by Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, after the assassination of Mohammad Pakpour in the US strikes.
US President Donald Trump, in a post on Truth Social, stated that Iran’s promise not to shoot its neighbours was possible only due to the relentless strikes by the US and Israel. He also added that Iran was ‘looking to take over and rule the Middle East.’ While Iran’s statement has come as a relief to Gulf countries, the war still rages on. Iran continues to retaliate with strikes against Israel, while Israel carries out ongoing airstrikes in Iran and Lebanon.
