TEHRAN – President Masoud Pezeshkian warned on Sunday that Iran will continue to respond decisively to any attack stemming from U.S.-Israeli aggression, including strikes launched from the territory of neighboring countries. He emphasized that any Iranian response would be strictly defensive, aimed at protecting national security and sovereignty.

During a field visit to hospitals and treatment centers caring for civilians injured in recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian infrastructure, Pezeshkian reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to maintaining peaceful relations with “brotherly neighboring countries,” while stressing that aggression originating from foreign soil leaves Tehran no choice but to act.

“Iran stands firm against those who attack it and will respond with full force,” Pezeshkian said. He underlined that these defensive measures are not intended to escalate disputes with neighboring states but are essential to safeguard the nation.

In a pointed reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s statements, Pezeshkian accused the “enemy” of misrepresenting his earlier remarks about retaliation against U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf. “The enemy has drawn naive conclusions from my remarks. Their goal is to push Iran and neighboring countries into conflict and create divisions between us and other nations,” he said.

These comments follow Pezeshkian’s Saturday statement that Iran’s temporary leadership council had agreed to stop attacks on neighboring countries unless aggression against Iran originates from their territory.

A Tehran Times revelation suggests the conditional nature of Pezeshkian’s statement may have also carried a strategic dimension. Shortly after the remarks, President Donald Trump claimed on his Truth Social platform that Pezeshkian’s comments were made as a result of what he described as the relentless U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran.

A political source speaking to the Tehran Times suggested that the conditional element of Pezeshkian’s statement was a trap to gauge the U.S. reaction. The source described the result interesting: Trump was overjoyed and spoke enthusiastically of Iran’s surrender!

Pezeshkian’s remarks come amid an ongoing joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, launched on February 28 and described by Washington as an effort to weaken Iran’s defensive capabilities. Trump has also called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender.”

Reaffirming Iran’s unyielding stance, Pezeshkian stated on Sunday, “Iran will never bow to bullying, oppression, or aggression.” While expressing regret for any harm to neighboring populations, he reiterated Iran’s commitment to regional friendship and unity: “We are friends with regional countries; they are our brothers. We must prevent the United States and Israel from manipulating divisions in our region.”

Pezeshkian’s comments underscore Tehran’s official position that any response to attacks originating from foreign territories is a necessary and defensive act to preserve the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that measures taken against U.S. military infrastructure are rooted in the right of self-defense as recognized by international law.