United States President Donald Trump has taken a swipe at Iran after it apologised to neighbouring countries affected by retaliatory airstrikes.
Iran had launched missile and drone attacks on multiple US military bases in Gulf countries — including Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Kuwait — in retaliation for what it described as “pre-emptive” strikes carried out by the United States and Israel.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran had no intention of invading neighbouring countries and called for regional cooperation to restore peace and stability.
“I deem it necessary to apologise to neighbouring countries that were attacked,” Pezeshkian said.
“We do not intend to invade neighbouring countries.”
Reacting in a post on his Truth Social account on Saturday, Trump said Iran’s apology was the result of what he described as relentless US and Israeli attacks on the country.
The US president also accused Iran of harbouring ambitions to dominate the Middle East.
“Iran, which is being beat to hell, has apologised and surrendered to its Middle East neighbours,” Trump wrote.
“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!’
“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.”
Trump added that “today, Iran will be hit very hard.”
He further warned that because of Iran’s “bad behaviour,” some areas and groups that had not previously been considered as targets were now under serious consideration for “complete destruction and certain death.”
