Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that Iran will no longer strike neighbouring countries unless the United States or Israel launches attacks from their territories.
In remarks reported by Iranian media and cited by Al Jazeera on Saturday, March 7, 2026, Pezeshkian said the decision was reached by Iran’s interim council on Friday. The statement serves as a further indication that Iran maintains structured governance despite the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in recent US and Israeli strikes.
The president also apologized to neighbouring countries for the missile strikes carried out in recent days.
Since the US and Israel initiated what Iran describes as an unprovoked war last Saturday, Iran has launched retaliatory missile attacks on Israel and US interests across the Middle East, including military bases, hotels, and oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.
These strikes have disrupted airports, businesses, and public life in the targeted countries and contributed to a sharp increase in global oil prices.
While Iran now pledges to halt attacks on Gulf neighbours, it continues to enforce restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reported targeting an oil tanker, Prima, with a drone on Saturday morning after the vessel allegedly ignored repeated warnings from the IRGC Navy regarding the prohibition of traffic and the unsafe conditions in the strait.
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) earlier stated that no fewer than 3,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Middle East due to the ongoing conflict. The IMO declared the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global shipping corridor handling about 20 percent of the world’s oil—effectively closed due to the threat of strikes.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez warned of severe global “knock-on” effects from the disruption, noting that a tugboat assisting another vessel in the strait was struck on Friday morning, killing four seafarers.
The latest announcement from President Pezeshkian signals a potential de-escalation toward neighbouring states while maintaining a hardline stance against direct US and Israeli operations.
