By Anietie anii-bassey
Iran’s president issued a rare public apology to neighboring countries on Saturday for attacks linked to Tehran’s escalating military campaign, even as missiles and drones launched from Iran streaked toward Gulf Arab states and the United States signaled that harsher retaliation could soon follow.
President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered the message one week into a rapidly expanding war that has shaken global markets and plunged Iran’s leadership into uncertainty following the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a Feb. 28 airstrike that triggered the current conflict. Pezeshkian is part of a three-member leadership council temporarily overseeing the country during the transition.
In a hastily recorded address that appeared to lack the polish of a formal broadcast, the president acknowledged the anxiety spreading across the region and sought to reassure neighboring nations that Iran did not intend to broaden the conflict unnecessarily. At the same time, he rejected calls from Washington for Tehran to surrender.
“That’s a dream that they should take to their grave,” Pezeshkian said, dismissing U.S. demands for unconditional capitulation.
The video message, which appeared to have been recorded quickly and without professional equipment, underscored the limited authority Iran’s civilian leadership now appears to wield over the powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
The force oversees Iran’s ballistic missile program and has played the central role in directing strikes against Israel and other targets across the region. Historically, the Guard answered directly to Khamenei, and analysts believe it may now be operating with increased autonomy as the country grapples with leadership uncertainty.
Shortly after Pezeshkian’s remarks were released, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a warning on social media suggesting that Iran could soon face even more devastating attacks. Trump acknowledged the Iranian president’s apology but indicated that Washington was considering expanding its list of military targets.
“Today Iran will be hit very hard,” Trump wrote. He added that additional areas and groups of people were now “under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death” because of what he described as Iran’s aggressive actions.
The warning came just hours after a new wave of Iranian missiles and drones rattled parts of the Gulf region.
Flights at Dubai International Airport were disrupted after explosions were heard nearby, while Saudi officials said they intercepted drones aimed at the massive Shaybah oil field in the kingdom’s eastern desert. Saudi air defenses also reported shooting down a ballistic missile headed toward Prince Sultan Air Base, a key facility that hosts U.S. forces.
In Bahrain, sirens wailed early Saturday as authorities warned residents of incoming threats from Iran. People in several areas rushed for shelter as air defense systems attempted to intercept projectiles.
Despite the widening range of attacks, Pezeshkian sought to reassure neighboring states that Iran would limit its operations to countries it believes have participated in strikes against its territory.
“I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” he said in his statement. “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.”
The comments added confusion to an already volatile situation. Shortly afterward, Iran’s armed forces spokesman, Gen. Abolfazl Shekarchi, said Tehran had not struck countries that did not provide territory or facilities for American forces to attack Iran.
The statement raised questions because recent U.S. operations targeting Iranian infrastructure have not been launched from Gulf Arab states currently facing Iranian strikes.
Amid the uncertainty surrounding Iran’s chain of command, prominent cleric Ayatollah Nasser Makarem Shirazi urged the country’s Assembly of Experts to accelerate the process of selecting a new supreme leader.
The 88-member body of senior clerics is responsible for appointing the country’s highest authority, but several buildings linked to the assembly have been damaged by recent airstrikes, potentially delaying any formal meeting.
Meanwhile, Washington signaled that the military campaign against Iran could intensify significantly. U.S. officials said the Trump administration had approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel as the two allies continue coordinated operations targeting Iran’s military infrastructure, leadership network and nuclear facilities.
American officials also warned that upcoming airstrikes could represent the most intense phase of the bombing campaign so far.
Explosions were reported again over western Tehran late Friday night as Israeli aircraft carried out another wave of strikes. Flashes from blasts illuminated the skyline, according to footage circulating online and videos recorded by residents.
The objectives of the war have appeared to shift repeatedly in recent days. While initial operations were described as efforts to cripple Iran’s military capabilities and nuclear program, some statements from U.S. officials have suggested broader ambitions, including the possible removal of Iran’s current government or the emergence of new leadership from within the country.
The conflict has already inflicted heavy casualties across the region. Iranian officials say at least 1,230 people have been killed inside Iran since the war began. In Lebanon, more than 200 people have died, while Israeli authorities report 11 fatalities from missile strikes. Six American service members have also been killed during operations linked to the conflict.
Across Israel, warning sirens again sent residents rushing into bomb shelters as incoming Iranian missiles triggered air defense systems. Loud explosions were heard in Jerusalem as interceptors struck targets overhead, though there were no immediate reports of injuries.
The fighting has also expanded in Lebanon, where the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah said its fighters clashed with Israeli forces that landed late Friday in mountainous terrain in the country’s east.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said Israeli airstrikes on the town of Nabi Chit and surrounding areas killed at least 41 people and wounded 40 others. The Lebanese army reported that three of its soldiers were among the dead.
Witnesses described intense clashes overnight as airstrikes pounded positions across the region. Israel has not confirmed the reported ground engagement, and military officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Israeli aircraft have also continued striking Beirut’s southern suburbs, a densely populated area that serves as a stronghold for Hezbollah. Hundreds of thousands of civilians live in the district, raising fears that the humanitarian toll could climb even higher.
Lebanese health authorities say Israeli strikes since Monday have killed more than 200 people across the country and injured more than 800.
Hezbollah responded on Saturday by warning residents in northern Israeli towns to prepare for possible attacks. Air raid sirens sounded near Nahariya, Kiryat Shmona and Tiberias as Israeli defense forces increased patrols along the border.
Israeli officials said they do not plan to evacuate residents from the region but will reinforce defenses by deploying soldiers between border communities and Hezbollah positions.
Elsewhere in the Indian Ocean region, India confirmed that an Iranian naval vessel had docked at one of its ports following the sinking of another Iranian warship earlier in the week.
India’s foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, said the vessel IRIS Lavan arrived in the southern port city of Kochi after reporting technical problems and requesting assistance. India granted permission for the ship to dock.
“I think it was the humane thing to do,” Jaishankar said when asked about the decision.
The development came days after a U.S. submarine sank the Iranian warship IRIS Dena off the coast of Sri Lanka on Wednesday in one of the most dramatic naval incidents since the conflict began.
Another Iranian vessel, the IRIS Bushehr, has also sought assistance from Sri Lankan authorities. Officials there say more than 200 sailors from the ship are being brought ashore.
Both ships had recently participated in naval exercises hosted by India before becoming entangled in the escalating conflict.
Jaishankar said the vessels had effectively been caught “on the wrong side of events” once the war erupted, highlighting how quickly the confrontation between Iran, Israel and the United States has spread beyond the Middle East and into surrounding regions.
Original article
Comments