Iran’s President, Masoud Pezeshkian, has declared that the country will never surrender to Israel or the United States as the escalating Middle East conflict entered its second week.
Pezeshkian made the remarks during a televised address on Saturday, insisting that Iran would continue to resist external pressure despite ongoing military strikes.
The Iranian leader said demands for Iran’s unconditional surrender would never be accepted by the country.
“Iran’s enemies must take their wish for the unconditional surrender of the Iranian people to their graves,” Pezeshkian said in the speech broadcast on state television.
The conflict intensified after Israel and the United States launched coordinated strikes on Iran on February 28.
The attack killed the country’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, and sparked a wider regional confrontation.
Following the strikes, Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting Israel and United States interests across the region, particularly in the Gulf.
Pezeshkian currently serves as one of the three members of an interim leadership council established to govern the country after Khamenei’s death.
The council is overseeing national affairs pending the appointment of a new supreme leader under Iran’s constitutional process.
During his address, Pezeshkian apologised to neighbouring countries affected by Iranian military actions, saying they were not intended as targets.
“I must apologise on my own behalf and on behalf of Iran to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran,” he said.
He added that the interim leadership council had agreed to limit further strikes unless Iran was attacked from neighbouring territories.
“The interim leadership council agreed yesterday that no more attacks will be made on neighbouring countries and no missiles will be fired unless an attack on Iran originates from those countries,” he stated.
