Iran Apologizes to Gulf Neighbors, Defies Trump’s ‘Unconditional Surrender’ Demand
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has apologized to Gulf countries for strikes, emphasizing that the temporary leadership council had agreed on suspending attacks unless an attack came from those countries.
Pezeshkian also struck a defiant tone, stressing that his country will not yield to US President Donald Trump’s demand for “unconditional surrender” to halt strikes on Iran.
Iranian Apology
In a televised address aired on Saturday, Pezeshkian apologized for attacking Gulf States and other neighboring countries. “I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” he said.
The Iranian President also said that the three-member temporary leadership council agreed on halting attacks unless Iran was targeted by attacks from those countries.
“From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy,” Pezeshkian said.
Absence of Commanders
Pezeshkian attributed these attacks to miscommunication within the ranks of Iranian armed forces, after senior commanders were eliminated in the US-Israeli strikes.
“After the recent events, in which our commanders and our leader lost their lives, our armed forces – in the absence of their commanders – carried out all the actions they deemed necessary on their own initiative,” he noted.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) – which controls the country’s ballistic missile arsenal – answers only to the country’s supreme leader. However, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted his compound in downtown Tehran on February 28, 2026.
Furthermore, the US and Israeli strikes killed several senior Iranian military, intelligence and security leaders, including Iran’s Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh; Chief of Staff Abdolrahim Mousavi; head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Pakpour; and top security adviser to Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani.
Iran’s Aggressions on Neighbors
Pezeshkian’s apology was aired while Iranian drones and missiles continued to target Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE, as the war entered its second week.
During the early hours of Saturday, the Saudi air defenses intercepted and destroyed 23 drones targeting Shaybah oil field in the Empty Quarter and east of Riyadh, as well as three ballistic missiles targeting Prince Sultan Air Base in Al-Kharj.
Since the start of the war, Iranian missiles and drones have directly violated the sovereignty of several Arab States, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the UAE and Oman.
Successfully intercepting the vast majority of the Iranian missiles, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries have reaffirmed their right to respond to these blatant aggressions against their sovereignty.
Furthermore, suspected Iranian drones were intercepted over Cyprus and Azerbaijan, while NATO defenses neutralized a ballistic missile heading toward Türkiye‘s airspace, as the conflict risks regional expansion.
‘Unconditional Surrender’
Amid reports of mediation efforts to contain the conflict, Trump on Friday appeared to rule out negotiations, insisting on Iran’s complete and unconditional surrender to stop strikes.
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before,” he posted on Truth Social.
On Thursday, China‘s Foreign Ministry said it would send its Special Envoy on Middle Eastern Issues, Zhai Jun, to the region to help de-escalating the ongoing military tensions. Moreover, Egypt, Qatar, Oman and Türkiye have offered mediation to halt the current escalation.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after Pezeskhian claimed that mediation efforts have begun. “Some countries have begun mediation efforts. Let’s be clear: we are committed to lasting peace in the region yet we have no hesitation in defending our nation’s dignity & sovereignty. Mediation should address those who underestimated the Iranian people and ignited this conflict,” he wrote on X.
Iran Not Backing Down
In response to Trump’s remarks, Pezeshkian remained defiant, stressing his country will never give up. In light of this, he said in his televised address that the US demand for an unconditional surrender is a “dream that they should take to their grave.”
Additionally, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi signaled Iran’s preparedness to counter a potential US ground invasion. “We are waiting for them,” he said during an interview with NBC on Thursday.
“Long prepared for this war, Iran’s Powerful Armed Forces are ensuring that it becomes a quagmire for whoever chooses to pursue it,” Araghchi posted later on X.
