Iran has been in the news a lot lately, trying to “not” have violence spread into a larger Middle Eastern conflict, while spreading violence in the region into a larger Middle Eastern conflict…or at least it sure seems like it from the outside looking in.
And…back to the ongoing ongoing…Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Iran's temporary leadership council had approved suspending attacks on nearby countries - unless an attack on Iran came from those nations.
"I personally apologise to neighbouring countries that were affected by Iran's actions," he said. How far Pezeshkian's statement reflects a decision to back off by Iran, or why, is not yet clear, with some strikes still reportedly directed at Gulf states on Saturday morning.
Iran still has enty of Arab and Indo Allies. Indos are the bulk of the Muzzies not Arabs.
As of March 2026, Iran’s primary allies in the Middle East remain the "
Axis of Resistance," a network of non-state militant groups, with Hezbollah in Lebanon being the most active partner. While some proxies have reduced participation, Hezbollah, the Houthi movement in Yemen, and certain Iraqi militias continue to align with Iran. The
U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has already spilled beyond Iran's borders, as Tehran has responded by hitting Israel and Gulf Arab states hosting U.S. military installations and Israel has attacked Lebanon's
Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group.
The UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have all reported drone and missile attacks over the past week. Gulf states voiced immediate outrage that their civilian infrastructure - hotels, ports and oil facilities - were struck despite their having had no part in the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Iran and
Saudi Arabia are engaged in an ongoing struggle for influence in the
Middle East and other regions of the
Muslim world. The two countries have provided varying degrees of
support to opposing sides in nearby conflicts, including the civil wars in
Syria and
Yemen; and disputes in
Bahrain,
Lebanon,
Qatar, and
Iraq.
Iran had mended fences with its Gulf neighbours in recent years, including with former regional arch rival Saudi Arabia - a diplomatic campaign that imploded as the Revolutionary Guards launched a blitz of drones and missiles over the past week.
Israel and Iran traded attacks on Saturday as the war entered its second week, while Tehran issued an apology to neighbouring states for its "actions", in an apparent bid to ease regional anger at Iranian strikes on Gulf Arab civilian targets.
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Gulf states voiced immediate outrage that their civilian infrastructure - hotels, ports and oil facilities - were struck despite their having had no part in the U.S.-Israeli attacks.
Add Israel (& the Jews) to the region and it gives the
Sunni Muslims and
Shia Muslims someone they can both agree to hate, and a welcome distraction until the river to the sea thing, and then the Middle East can go back to just cannibalizing itself.
Oh wait…Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that its temporary leadership council had approved the suspension of attacks against neighboring countries unless an attack on Iran came from those countries. The announcement came as Iran continued to launch attacks in the region against neighboring countries in response to U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Islamic Republic.
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Saturday that its temporary leadership council had approved the suspension of attacks against neighboring countries unless an attack on Iran came from those countries.
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A spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards challenged U.S. President
Donald Trump to deploy U.S. naval vessels to escort oil tankers from neighbouring countries through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported on Friday. At least nine vessels have been attacked so far since the
U.S. and Israel first began strikes on
Iran on Saturday and the Guards ordered ships not to cross the strategic waterway.
en.wikipedia.org
"We recommend that, before making any decision, the Americans remember the fire on the American supertanker Bridgeton in 1987 (
The explosion of an Iranian mine in the Gulf's shipping channel damaged Bridgeton's outer hull but did not prevent it from completing its voyage. Nevertheless, the incident was a propaganda victory for Iran) and the oil tankers that were recently targeted," IRGC spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said.
A spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards challenged U.S. President Donald Trump to deploy U.S. naval vessels to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
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