Iran seeks to calm Arab neighbors amid war

Iranian officials are sending a coordinated message to Arab nations surrounding the Persian Gulf as tensions escalate across the region, insisting Tehran’s military actions are directed at the United States and Israel rather than neighboring countries.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been speaking with regional counterparts, including in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister in which he said Iranian missile strikes were aimed at American interests and did not target Qatar.

At the same time, Iran’s top political figures have echoed similar messaging publicly. President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a post addressed to “friendly and neighboring countries” that Iran had tried to avoid war through diplomacy but that US and Israeli military attacks left Tehran with “no choice but to defend ourselves,” adding that Iran respects the sovereignty of regional states.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf also sought to reassure neighbors, saying Iran’s missile and drone capabilities were being used solely for “legitimate defense” against US and Israeli attacks and expressing hope that cooperation among regional countries would resume once the conflict ends.