Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has said neighbouring countries will no longer be targeted by Iranian attacks unless strikes against Iran originate from their territory.
According to Iranian media reports, the country’s interim leadership council approved the decision as Tehran attempts to ease tensions across the region.
Speaking in remarks carried by state media, President Pezeshkian also apologised to neighbouring states for missile and drone strikes launched in recent days, saying Tehran regretted the incidents.
The announcement comes one week into the war triggered by escalating hostilities between Iran, Israel and the United States.
The conflict intensified after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in strikes carried out by the United States and Israel, an incident that Tehran described as a declaration of war and vowed to avenge.
Following the attacks, Iran launched retaliatory strikes across the region, with several neighbouring countries reporting missile interceptions or explosions linked to the widening conflict.
Iranian officials have said some of the strikes targeting locations near neighbouring states were aimed at military facilities or positions linked to Israeli or US interests, insisting the operations were part of Tehran’s response to the attacks on its territory and leadership.
However, in his latest remarks, President Pezeshkian said Iran respected the sovereignty of neighbouring countries and would avoid further attacks unless Iran itself was attacked from their soil.
The statement appears to signal an effort by Tehran to prevent the conflict from spreading further across the Middle East while fighting with its main adversaries continues.
