Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday issued an unprecedented public apology to neighbouring countries for missile and drone strikes launched during the ongoing conflict with Israel and the United States. However, within hours,Iran on Sunday launched fresh attackson the United States (US) Navy’s Fifth Fleet in the Juffair District in Manama, Bahrain, killing at least 21 soldiers.
The apology has exposed a significant and deepening rift within Iran’s leadership — Pezeshkian’s pragmatic interim council and hardline military elements, specifically the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Speaking on state television,Pezeshkian stated, “I must apologise on my own behalf and on behalf of Iran to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran".
He attributed the strikes to “miscommunication in the ranks" and “fire at will" instructions that occurred after central command was disrupted by initial U.S.-Israeli strikes.
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He announced that Iran’s interim leadership council had approved a suspension of attacks on neighbours, provided those countries are not used as launchpads for strikes against Iran.
Despite the apology, he firmly rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for “unconditional surrender", calling it a “dream they should take to their grave".
The apology and Pezeshkian’s bid for “diplomatic solution" came during a volatile week where Iranian missiles have hit civilian and industrial targets in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia. Pezeshkian’s move was seen as a high-stakes diplomatic gamble to prevent further regional escalation following a week of intense warfare that began on February 28.
The apology was interpreted in several ways by regional experts and world leaders, according to reports in foreign media:
Some reports called it a part of “regional diplomacy", an attempt to de-escalate and prevent Gulf states (like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain) from joining a US-Israeli coalition.
Source: World News in news18.com, World Latest News, World News
