The President of Iran promised to stop attacks on Persian Gulf countries, but set a condition
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran is ready to stop attacks on Persian Gulf countries if their territories are not used to attack Iran, CNN reports.
On Saturday, the Iranian leader publicly apologised to the Arab states in the region that have suffered from Iran's actions.
"I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that have been attacked by Iran. We have no intention of attacking neighbouring states. As I have repeatedly stated, they are our brothers," Pezeshkian said during a speech broadcast on Iranian state television.
According to the president, the three-member interim council of leaders currently running the country has instructed the armed forces to refrain from missile strikes against neighbouring states unless attacks against Iran are launched from their territories.
He stressed that the Iranian authorities hope to resolve the conflict through diplomacy rather than military confrontation.
"I believe that we need to resolve this issue diplomatically, rather than by fighting and creating problems with neighbouring countries," the president said.
Pezeshkian also called on the Persian Gulf countries not to become, in his words, "a toy in the hands of imperialism" and warned them against participating in attacks against Iran.
At the same time, as CNN notes, it is not yet clear whether the Iranian president's statement took effect immediately. After his speech, air targets continued to be intercepted over the United Arab Emirates, and air raid sirens sounded in Bahrain.
