Ninth Day of U.S.-Iran War... Iranian President Reverses Apology Within a Day

Iranian Hardliners Defiantly Continue Attacks

Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran. Xinhua Yonhap News

As the war in Iran, triggered by airstrikes from the United States and Israel, entered its ninth day, the Iranian president reversed his promise to halt attacks on neighboring Middle Eastern countries just one day after making it.

According to AFP and other sources on March 8 (local time), Masoud Pezeshkian, President of Iran, stated on national television, "If Iran’s enemies use any country to attack or invade our territory, we will have no choice but to respond to that attack." He added, "Responding does not mean we intend to create conflict with that country or harm its people; we are only responding as necessary."

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that "the President’s position to seek de-escalation, under the condition that the territories of neighboring countries are not used for attacks against Iran, has been disregarded by President Trump," adding, "He has misjudged our capabilities and resolve."

President Pezeshkian had apologized to the Gulf nation targeted by Iran the previous day and announced a halt to the attacks, but appears to have returned to a hardline stance just one day later. The New York Times reported that President Pezeshkian faced internal criticism from hardliners who demanded a stronger attack on U.S. assets in the Middle East immediately after his apology.

Iran has continued its attacks defiantly. Even after President Pezeshkian’s remarks, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched successive attacks on Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar. The IRGC claimed in a statement that the attacks were not aimed at Gulf states but were targeting U.S. military bases.

Hardliners in Iran’s political establishment also strongly criticized President Pezeshkian’s remarks. According to the British daily The Telegraph, lawmaker Hamid Rasaee called it a "weak and unprofessional message," insisting that the Assembly of Experts should elect the next Supreme Leader as soon as possible to end the interim leadership system.

Lawmaker Mohammad Manan Raisi also called the remarks "humiliating" and urged the election of a new leader. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Parliament, asserted that amid the conflict, all U.S. and Israeli bases in the Middle East are "legitimate targets."

Damage in the Gulf region is rising. Kuwait International Airport was also attacked, and two border guards were killed. The Ministry of Defense of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced that the death toll from Iran’s attacks has risen to four.

Meanwhile, Israel has launched a massive offensive against not only Iran’s nuclear and oil facilities but also Lebanon, which is controlled by the pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah. On the afternoon of March 8, the Israeli Ministry of Defense announced that it had struck 400 targets in Iran over the past 24 hours, including ballistic missile launchers and weapons factories. The Israeli military also attacked four oil storage facilities and a petroleum product transportation center in the Tehran and Alborz regions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.