Iran to Halt Strikes on Neighbors Amid Gulf Tensions

Iran's interim leadership, under President Masoud Pezeshkian, has decided to cease attacks on neighboring countries unless those countries initiate an attack from their territories. This policy shift was confirmed through multiple Iranian media outlets on Saturday, as the Middle East conflict enters its second week.

The Iranian Armed Forces were instructed to halt strikes on neighboring countries, acknowledging that previous attacks were chaotic and resulted from internal military disorganization. Despite this, Iran maintains its stance to defend itself against U.S. and Israeli actions.

The decision aims to reduce the risk of airspace closures, which could disrupt one of the world's busiest international flight corridors and impact the broader economy, particularly tourism. The conflict escalated after coordinated U.S.-Israeli airstrikes targeted Iranian cities, including Tehran, resulting in significant casualties and retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran on Gulf countries hosting U.S. military bases.