Tehran signals de-escalation with ‘conditional non-aggression’ pledge to neighbours

WEB DESK: In a significant diplomatic overture aimed at cooling regional tensions, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has announced a new “conditional non-aggression” policy toward neighbouring states.

According to Tehran Times, Pezeshkian revealed that Iran’s interim leadership council has formally approved a directive stating that Tehran will refrain from military strikes against its neighbours. However, this pledge remains strictly conditional: the immunity only applies so long as no attacks against Iran originate from those countries’ territories.

A Reassurance Amid Regional Turmoil

The announcement comes at a critical juncture for the Middle East, as the “West Asia conflict” enters a volatile new phase following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian soil. By formalising this stance, the interim leadership seeks to reassure Gulf states and other bordering nations that they will not be targeted in retaliatory waves, provided they remain neutral. “I apologise to the neighbouring countries,” Pezeshkian stated, striking an unusually conciliatory tone. “We have no intention of invading other countries… we must join hands with these dear ones in the region to establish peace and tranquillity.”

Defiance Toward the West Remains

Despite the olive branch extended to his “brothers” in the region, President Pezeshkian maintained a posture of fierce resistance against Western pressure. The policy update serves as a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent demands for “unconditional surrender.”

Pezeshkian dismissed such calls as “wishful thinking,” asserting that the Iranian people would take the dream of surrender “to their graves.” While the non-aggression pact offers a potential de-escalation path for regional neighbours, it simultaneously draws a clear red line for any nation hosting U.S. or Israeli military assets, warning them not to become “playthings of imperialism.”