Iranian President Pezeshkian Vows No Surrender, Apologises to Neighbours for Strikes

Doha:Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday declared that the Islamic Republic would never capitulate to Israel or the United States but asserted that it will not strike any neighbouring countries until and unless attacked first.

The ongoing regional conflict has now entered in its second week and continues to intensify following the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a televised address, Pezeshkian asserted that Iran’s adversaries “must take their wish for the unconditional surrender of the Iranian people to their graves.”

He claimed that Iran’s resolve to defend its sovereignty and dignity, framing the nation’s military actions as a necessary response to aggression.

The conflict erupted on February 28 when joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeted key Iranian sites, resulting in the death of Ayatollah Khamenei and several senior officials.

This triggered widespread Iranian retaliatory missile and drone attacks on Israel and U.S. interests across the Gulf region, including facilities in neighbouring Arab states.

Pezeshkian, who serves on the three-member interim leadership council established after Khamenei’s assassination, sought to reassure regional neighbours.

He issued a formal apology for Iran’s strikes that affected their territories, clarifying that such actions were not intended to target Arab countries directly.

“I must apologise on my own behalf and on behalf of Iran to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran,” Pezeshkian stated. The interim council, he added, had decided the previous day to halt further missile launches toward neighbouring states unless attacks on Iran originate from their soil. “No more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries, and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries,” he affirmed.

The remarks appeared aimed at de-escalating tensions with Gulf nations, amid reports of prior Iranian strikes impacting areas in the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and elsewhere, which Tehran has described as self-defence following failed diplomatic efforts to avert war.

However, the conciliatory tone was almost immediately undermined. Within minutes of the speech being broadcast, residents in Doha reported hearing a loud explosion in the sky, accompanied by blaring security alarms. Witnesses described it as the unmistakable sound of an air defence interception, likely of an incoming missile or projectile.

It, however, was no clear whether the incident stemmed from a communication lag between Iran’s military command and the political leadership’s new directive, a pre-planned launch, or an unrelated event. No immediate casualties or damage were reported from the Doha incident.

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