Iran apologizes for Gulf strikes, but missiles, drones keep coming amid command chaos

2026-03-07 - 10:37

Despite the announcement made by the Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian missiles and drones continued to target Gulf states on Saturday, prompting air defense responses in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The ongoing attacks highlight apparent contradictions in command and control within Iran’s armed forces, raising concerns over the authority of the interim leadership amid a Tehran power vacuum following Khamenei’s death, the Gulf News reports. However, Pezeshkian said on state television, “I must apologize on my own behalf and on behalf of Iran to the neighboring countries that were attacked by Iran. The interim leadership council agreed that no more attacks will be made unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries.” Earlier, the Iranian President, had stated that Iran’s interim leadership council had decided no further strikes would be carried out against neighboring countries unless provoked by attacks originating from their territories. The situation underscores both the volatility of Iran’s military hierarchy and the risk of miscommunication amid the intensifying regional conflict.