US President Donald Trump was quick to capitalise on the moment after Iran apologised to its Gulf neighbours for relentless strikes in the ongoing war. In a statement on Truth Social, the 79-year-old said Iran is no longer the “bully of the Middle East” but a loser.
The Republican claimed that Iran’s apology came only because of the constant strikes by the US and its ally Israel in the ongoing war. He further said that this is the first time that Iran has “ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern countries”.
“Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore. This promise was only made because of the relentless US and Israeli attack. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East. It is the first time that Iran has ever lost, in thousands of years, to surrounding Middle Eastern Countries. They have said, ‘Thank you President Trump.’ I have said, ‘You’re welcome!’,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Iran is no longer the ‘Bully of the Middle East,’ they are, instead, ‘THE LOSER OF THE MIDDLE EAST,’ and will be for many decades until they surrender or, more likely, completely collapse! Today Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran’s bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time,” the US President added.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday apologised to his Gulf neighbours, who Tehran has been targeting since the start of the war with the US and Israel last week. “I apologise to the neighbouring countries,” he said, adding that Iran had no intention of invading other nations.
Pezeshkian further said that the Iranian leadership council has approved a decision to stop strikes (missile or drone) on the Gulf countries unless attacks against Tehran originated from them.
Meanwhile, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have time and again said that Iran’s weapon stockpiles have significantly depleted. The US Central Command said Iranian ballistic missile attacks had reduced by 90 per cent and drone attacks by 83 per cent over the past few days, CNN reported. Israel has also alleged that it has destroyed 80 per cent of Iran’s air defence systems and achieved “near-complete air superiority”.
The Iran war has deepened with America and Israel intensifying their strikes. The situation worsened on March 4 after the US hit an Iranian warship ‘IRIS Dena’, which was returning after a military drill in India and was near Sri Lanka. At least 87 people were killed and 60 remain missing. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth said the ship was attacked by a torpedo by a submarine, making it the first torpedo strike since World War II. Iran vowed revenge for the attack, warning the US would “bitterly regret” it. Hours later, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed on Thursday that it hit an American tanker in the northern Persian Gulf, Reuters reported.
