Iran said it would halt attacks on neighbouring Gulf states and apologised for recent strikes on the region, even as missile and drone attacks continued to be reported hours later, underlining the fragile security situation as the war with Israel entered its second week.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran would refrain from targeting nearby countries unless attacks on Iran were launched from their territory, in an apparent effort to calm tensions with Gulf neighbours caught in the widening conflict.
“I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran’s actions,” Pezeshkian said in a televised address, adding that Iran’s leadership council had agreed to suspend attacks on regional states unless strikes on Iran originated from there.
However, the conciliatory message was overshadowed by reports of fresh attacks soon after the statement. Saudi Arabia said its air defences intercepted missiles and drones targeting sensitive installations, including a military facility hosting US personnel.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also said their drones had struck the US air combat centre at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, though the claim could not immediately be independently verified.
The Iranian president suggested earlier strikes on neighbouring countries may have stemmed from confusion within the military following the killing of several senior leaders, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, during the opening phase of the conflict.
Tehran has insisted that its operations are directed at US and Israeli targets across the region rather than Gulf states themselves, while warning that any country allowing its territory to be used for attacks on Iran could face retaliation.
The conflict, triggered by large-scale U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, has increasingly spilled beyond Iran’s borders, with missile exchanges continuing between Iran and Israel and regional governments urging restraint to prevent further escalation.
