The president of Iran has rejected Donald Trump’s call for the country’s unconditional surrender as a “dream”, while issuing a apology for Iranian strikes that had targeted sites in neighbouring Gulf states.
In a prerecorded address broadcast on state television on Saturday, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the country would never capitulate, responding to remarks by the US president, who said on Friday that only Iran’s total submission could bring the war to an end.
Pezeshkian said, “must take their dream of the Iranian people’s unconditional surrender to their graves”, in remarks that further escalate the eighth day of conflict, which has choked global oil supplies and cut world air travel.
At the same time, Pezeshkian issued an apology to neighbouring states for Iran’s recent “actions”, in an apparent attempt to ease regional anger after Iranian strikes hit civilian targets in Gulf Arab countries.
Tehran has responded to attacks on its territory by targeting Israel, but also Gulf Arab states that host US military installations, while Israel has also launched intense strikes on Lebanon, where the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah is based.
Over the past week, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have all reported drone and missile attacks.
Pezeshkian said Iran’s temporary leadership council had approved suspending attacks on nearby countries unless an assault on Iran originated from those states.
“I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran’s actions,” he said.
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