Iran Vows No Strikes On Nearby States - But Explosions Shake Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Other Neighbours

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday (local time) apologised to the Gulf countries, saying that Tehran would stop striking its Arab neighbours unless any attacks on Iran originated from those countries, Iran International reported.

In a video message released Saturday, Pezeshkian said, "The temporary leadership council approved yesterday that neighbouring countries should no longer be targeted and missiles should not be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries.”

He went on to say that the armed forces so far had acted with a kind of 'fire at will' authority; however, they have now been notified that they must not attack neighbouring countries or target them with missiles.

The Iranian President also warned the groups in neighbouring countries and said,“To groups in neighbouring countries who may think of using this opportunity to attack our territory, I send this message: do not become tools of imperialism.”

However, it is not clear whether Pezeshkian's announcement came into effect immediately, since after his address, interceptions continued over the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and sirens rang in Bahrain, CNN reported.

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Pezeshkian's address comes as the US -Israel war in Iran enters day eight, with several Middle East countries bearing the brunt of the war. After the US and Israel targeted Tehran's key military and naval forces on 28 February and killed the country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Tehran retaliated and launched missiles targeting Israel and US military installations in Gulf countries. As a result, loud explosions have been heard in cities like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Manama, Riyadh, Doha, and others.

Iran strikes Gulf states as fighting spreads

According to an AP report, sirens sounded in Bahrain earlier today as the conflict widened and Iran launched attacks targeting the island kingdom.

The Bahraini military said Saturday that since the beginning of the Iranian attacks against the kingdom, 86 missiles and 148 drones had been intercepted and destroyed, CNN reported.

Also Read | US-Iran Conflict: Dubai Airport suspends all operations

Additionally, Saudi Arabia said that it destroyed drones that were headed towards its Shaybah oil field and shot down a ballistic missile that was launched toward Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts US forces. In the UAE, Dubai Airport, which is one of the busiest in the world, came under drone attack multiple times, with passengers reporting at least one impact and several interceptions, resulting in the suspension of departures for at least several hours.

Qatar's Defence Ministry announced that a ballistic missile attack had been repelled. Iran's military said it had launched missiles and drones against US military bases in Bahrain and Qatar.

US says more intense bombing ahead

According to an AP report, there seems to be no end to the conflict. US President Donald Trump's administration has recently approved a new $151 million arms sale to Israel after Trump said that he would not negotiate with Iran without its "unconditional surrender," and US officials warned of a forthcoming bombing campaign they claimed would be the most intense yet.

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