Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced a new regional policy, approved by the interim leadership council, stating that Iran will no longer target neighbouring countries unless an attack against Iran is launched from their territory.
In his remarks, Pezeshkian also issued an apology to neighbouring Arab nations for recent strikes, asserting that Iran did not intend to attack their territories, says Al Jazeera.
“We do not intend to attack neighbouring countries. As I have repeatedly said, they are our brothers,” CNN quoted him as saying in a broadcast on state television.
The Iranian president added, “I think we need to solve this with diplomacy rather than fighting and having problems with neighbouring countries.”
Pezeshkian also urged Gulf nations not to become what he described as a “plaything in the hands of imperialism,” warning them not to attack Iranian territory.
Meanwhile, the sincerity or coordination of the pledge was immediately called into question when an explosion and security alarm were heard over Doha just minutes after the announcement.
This event was identified as a likely interception, leaving it unclear whether there was a communication delay between the Iranian government and its ground forces or if other factors were involved.
Pezeshkian characterised the US demand for an unconditional surrender as a “dream.” In the prerecorded address aired on state television, he stated that it is a dream the United States should “take to their grave.”
These comments were made in response to earlier statements by Donald Trump, who asserted that only Iran’s “unconditional surrender” would end the military offensive that had begun a week prior.
While rejecting these terms, Pezeshkian also used the address to apologise for Iranian attacks on neighbouring countries, attributing them to miscommunication and stating that the interim leadership council had approved a policy to stop targeting neighbours unless an attack on Iran originated from their territory, reports The Guardian.
Source: https://www.tbsnews.net/worldbiz/middle-east/iran-pledges-not-target-neighbors-issues-apology-after-recent-strikes-masoud
