US – Iran War: Iran’s president apologizes to neighbors, says stops strikes on them
US – Iran War: In a televised address aired today, Saturday, March 7, 2026, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a formal apology to Gulf neighbors for recent missile and drone strikes.
He stated that Iran will immediately halt attacks on these countries, provided their territories are not used as launchpads for strikes against Iran. The apology follows a week of intense regional escalation during the ongoing U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict.
Pezeshkian emphasized that the “temporary leadership council” decided to stop all missile launches against neighboring countries. The only exception is if a future attack on Iran originates from those specific territories.
Attributing the Strikes: He suggested that recent attacks—which hit civilian and energy infrastructure in countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar—were caused by “miscommunication in the ranks” rather than a deliberate policy to invade.
Note of Defiance: Despite the apology to neighbors, the President remained firm against the West.
He explicitly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for “unconditional surrender,” calling it a dream they should “take to their grave.” Iranian strikes targeted high-profile locations, including residential areas in Manama, hotels in Dubai, and the Shaybah oil field in Saudi Arabia.
Air raid alerts over Gulf cities led to significant travel chaos, with Dubai International Airport suspending flight operations earlier today. The conflict has become increasingly direct, with reports of six U.S. soldiers killed in Kuwait earlier this week and the destruction of high-value air defense systems like the THAAD radar.
The potential for a ceasefire in the Gulf has caused a slight cooling in energy markets, which were bracing for oil to hit $150 a barrel if a total shutdown of Gulf energy exports occurred. However, with Israeli jets continuing a “broad wave” of strikes on Tehran and Isfahan today, the situation remains extremely volatile.
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