Iran’s president apologizes to neighbors while rejecting U.S. surrender demands

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran’s president apologized to neighboring countries Saturday over attacks carried out during the ongoing regional conflict, even as Iranian missiles and drones continued targeting Gulf states, highlighting apparent divisions within Tehran’s leadership and uncertainty over control of its armed forces.

President Masoud Pezeshkian delivered the message one week into the escalating war involving Iran, the United States, and Israel. The conflict erupted on Feb. 28 following a major airstrike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and triggered widespread hostilities across the Middle East.

Pezeshkian is currently part of a temporary three-member leadership council overseeing Iran’s government during the crisis. In a hastily recorded video message, the president sought to ease tensions with Gulf nations while firmly rejecting repeated calls from U.S. President Donald Trump for Iran to surrender.

“That’s a dream that they should take to their grave,” Pezeshkian said, dismissing Washington’s demand for unconditional surrender.

Apology to neighboring states

The Iranian president acknowledged growing anger among Gulf Arab governments after Iranian missile and drone attacks struck or threatened several regional countries.

“I should apologize to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran, on my own behalf,” Pezeshkian said. “From now on, they should not attack neighboring countries or fire missiles at them, unless we are attacked by those countries. I think we should solve this through diplomacy.”

Despite the apology, attacks earlier in the day disrupted operations at Dubai International Airport, targeted a major Saudi oil facility and triggered repeated air raid alerts in Bahrain.

The incidents underscored concerns that Iran’s civilian leadership may not fully control the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which commands the country’s missile and drone arsenal and historically answered directly to Khamenei.

Confusion within Iran’s leadership

Iranian military spokesman Abolfazl Shekarchi added to the uncertainty, saying Tehran had “not hit countries that did not provide space for America to invade our country,” even though many of the Gulf states now under attack are not hosting active U.S. strike operations.

Analysts say the mixed messaging highlights internal tensions between Iran’s political leaders and hardline military factions.

Calls for swift action to fill the leadership vacuum are also growing. Senior cleric Nasser Makarem Shirazi urged the country’s Assembly of Experts to quickly appoint a new supreme leader.

“The timely realization of this important matter will lead to national authority and the best possible organization of affairs,” Shirazi said in a statement.

Trump rejects negotiations

Meanwhile, Trump signaled that the war could continue until Iran’s military and leadership structure are dismantled.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, the U.S. president said he was not interested in negotiations at this stage and suggested the air campaign could eliminate Iran’s remaining leadership.

“At some point, I don’t think there will be anybody left maybe to say ‘We surrender,’” Trump said.

Trump also warned that Iran would be “hit very hard” and indicated the United States could expand its military operations.

Continued regional escalation

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel would continue its campaign against Iranian forces but offered assurances that members of the Revolutionary Guards who surrender would not be harmed.

“We stand by all countries attacked by Iran; many are talking to us,” Netanyahu said in a televised address.

Iranian officials have denied internal divisions over the war. Ali Ardashir Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said the government remained united in its response to the conflict.

Nevertheless, Pezeshkian’s earlier apology triggered backlash from hardline figures at home. Cleric and lawmaker Hamid Rasai criticized the president on social media, calling his stance “unprofessional, weak and unacceptable.”

Attacks across the region

The war has expanded beyond Iran and Israel, with missile and drone strikes reported across the Gulf.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed their drones struck a U.S. air combat center at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, though the report could not be independently verified.

Sirens also sounded in the Israeli port city of Haifa following Iranian missile launches, while rockets were reported near the United States Embassy in Baghdad.

Israel has simultaneously intensified airstrikes against the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon. Lebanese officials said Israeli attacks since Monday have killed at least 294 people.

Rising casualties and economic impact

Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations said at least 1,332 Iranian civilians have been killed in U.S.-Israeli strikes, with thousands more wounded. Iranian attacks have killed 10 people in Israel, while the United States confirmed at least six American service members killed during the conflict.

The widening war has also shaken global markets. Energy prices have surged as the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping corridor faces disruptions, prompting oil production cuts in several Gulf states including Kuwait.

Hardline clerics in Iran are now pushing for the rapid selection of a new supreme leader, with members of the Assembly of Experts reportedly preparing to meet within the next 24 hours to determine the country’s next political direction as the war continues to escalate.