Iran's Stance Toward Neighbouring Countries Shaped by War Against Israel and the US

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring countries hosting American bases for attacks conducted in their territories. He said they would not be targeted unless the attack originated from them. ‘I must apologise on my own behalf and on behalf of Iran to the neighbouring countries that have been attacked by Iran,’ he said in a speech broadcast on state television, reported AFP. ‘The Interim leadership council yesterday agreed that there will be no more attacks on neighbouring countries and no missiles will be fired unless the attack against Iran originates from those countries,’ he added. Pezeshkian also said that Iran would never surrender to Israel and the United States as the Middle East war entered its second week. Iran’s stance on responding to attacks launched from neighbouring countries will involve retaliatory strikes, though not out of hostility toward those states or their people – it will be determined by necessity, he said. Separately, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said its forces could wage intense fighting for six months at the current pace against the United States and Israel. Spokesperson Ali Mohammad Naini said Iran has so far used ‘first and second generation’ missiles, but will deploy longer-range, more advanced missiles in the coming days. The conflict between the US-Israel and Iran continues into its second week, heightening regional impact. Saudi Arabia has intercepted a wave of drones aimed at targets including Riyadh’s diplomatic quarter. Kuwait reported a strike on fuel storage at its international airport, worsening concerns over energy supplies, with Kuwait’s state oil company also announcing crude production cuts due to threats to the Hormuz Strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas transit. Iran accused the US and Israel of attacking fuel depots in Tehran on Saturday, the first reported strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure amid stock market declines and soaring oil prices. Israel’s military said it struck several fuel-storage facilities in Tehran used to operate military infrastructure. Israel has also launched a fresh wave of strikes across Tehran on Sunday after a precision strike targeting a senior commander of the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the IRGC, at a hotel in central Beirut popular with tourists. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press on with the war against Iran ‘with all our strength’. Israel also reportedly aims to eliminate Iran’s leadership after a joint US-Israel attack killed Iran’s top leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei last week, prompting regional escalation.