Pezeshkian apologizes to Arabs: Iran pledges to stop attacks against neighboring countries and sets conditions for de-escalation

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian announced today, Saturday, a shift in his country's military policy towards the region, offering a formal apology to neighboring Arab countries, foremost among them the Gulf Cooperation Council states and Iraq. This apology came in the wake of a series of missile and drone attacks that targeted vital facilities in those countries over the past few days.

Pezeshkian affirmed in a video statement that the interim leadership council, which currently holds the reins in Tehran, approved a decision not to carry out any future attacks against neighboring countries. The Iranian president stipulated for adherence to this pledge that no hostile attacks against Iranian territory should originate from within the borders of those countries, emphasizing his country's desire to end the state of tension.

The Iranian president stressed in his speech the absence of any premeditated intention for hostility with the countries of the region, stating that Tehran does not seek to attack any neighboring party. These statements come under exceptional circumstances experienced by Iran following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28, which led to the formation of an interim leadership council to manage the crisis.

On the Arab diplomatic front, the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, revealed arrangements for an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers tomorrow, Sunday. The meeting, which will be held via video conference, will focus on discussing the repercussions of recent Iranian aggressions on the sovereignty of Arab territories in light of the ongoing military escalation.

Zaki explained that this Arab move came at the official request of several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Egypt, and Jordan. The meeting aims to formulate a unified Arab position towards repeated Iranian violations that coincided with direct confrontations between Tehran on one hand and the United States and Israel on the other.

For his part, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit strongly condemned the Iranian attacks, describing them as a blatant violation of international law and the United Nations Charter. Aboul Gheit warned that these actions create an unprecedented state of hostility and cause a deep rift in good neighborly relations, which will negatively affect the future of the region.

Aboul Gheit considered Tehran's attempts to drag Arab countries into a conflict that is not their war to be a grave strategic mistake that must be rectified immediately. He demanded a halt to all Iranian military operations targeting Arab facilities, stressing that there is no acceptable justification for targeting neighbors under any political or military pretext.

On the ground, the Saudi Ministry of Defense announced the success of its forces in intercepting and destroying 21 drones that were targeting the 'Shaybah' oil field located southeast of the Kingdom. This operation is considered one of the largest targeting attempts against Saudi oil facilities during the recent wave of escalation in the region.

In a related context, Saudi military sources confirmed the destruction of a ballistic missile that was heading towards Prince Sultan Air Base, which houses units of US forces. Air defenses also managed to intercept another drone in the skies of the capital Riyadh, in addition to thwarting previous attacks that targeted the strategic Ras Tanura refinery.

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman sent a firm message to Tehran, calling on it to prioritize reason and avoid miscalculations. Prince Khalid, after meeting with the Pakistani army chief, indicated that the Kingdom is exploring ways to stop these aggressions within the framework of joint strategic defense agreements to ensure the security and stability of the region.

These rapid developments come at a time when the Iranian capital, Tehran, was subjected to a widespread attack by about 80 Israeli fighter jets, in response to Iranian missile barrages. The region is in a state of high alert, awaiting the outcome of Arab and international diplomatic moves to contain the situation and prevent it from escalating into a comprehensive regional war.

Observers believe that Pezeshkian's apology may represent an attempt to calm the Arab front in light of the enormous military pressures Iran faces internally and externally. However, the gamble remains on the extent of Iranian military factions' commitment to the decisions of the interim leadership council, and the ability of Arab countries to extract real guarantees that prevent the recurrence of these aggressions in the future.

There is no animosity between Iran and the countries of the region, and we have no intention of attacking any neighboring country.