Tehran:

Iran has announced that it will stop launching attacks on neighbouring countries unless an attack on Iranian territory originates from those states, according to President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Speaking in remarks broadcast on Iranian state television, Pezeshkian said the country’s interim leadership council had approved a new policy aimed at preventing further escalation across the region. Under the decision, Iran’s armed forces have been instructed not to carry out missile or drone strikes against neighbouring countries unless those countries are used as launch points for attacks on Iran.

“I apologise to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran,” the president said, stressing that Tehran holds no hostility toward regional states and seeks to avoid widening the conflict.

The announcement comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East following weeks of military exchanges linked to the ongoing confrontation involving Iran, the United States and Israel. Iranian strikes in recent days had targeted locations across the Gulf region, prompting concern among neighbouring states.

Analysts say the move signals a possible attempt by Tehran to de-escalate tensions with regional neighbours while continuing its broader confrontation with its main adversaries.

The Iranian leadership has also indicated that it remains open to diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing a wider regional war.