‘Weak, unacceptable’: Iranian MP slams President’s apology, urges clerics to appoint Supreme Leader soon

An Iranian lawmaker has sharply criticised President Masoud Pezeshkian over his televised apology to neighbouring countries, calling the remarks “weak, unprofessional, and unacceptable” and urging clerical authorities to move quickly to appoint Iran’s next Supreme Leader. 

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Iranian MP rebuked Pezeshkian’s comments made during a national address on March 7, arguing that the president’s tone undermined the country’s armed forces amid the ongoing regional conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. 

“Mr. Pezeshkian! Your stance was astonishing, unprofessional, weak, and unacceptable,” the lawmaker wrote. “The armed forces did not act with ‘fire at will’ and without coordination, but rather carried out their reciprocal response based on deterrence policy, fulfilling their duty admirably.” 

The MP added that the countries hosting American military forces — not Tehran — should be the ones offering apologies. “Those who should apologize are the countries that have turned their soil into a base for the US military,” the post said. 

In a follow-up post he wrote, “Dear Mr. Arafi, Dear Mr. Mohseni Eje'i, Please clearly and transparently state whether Mr. Pezeshkian's positions in the television interview, which he announced on behalf of the Interim Leadership Council, are also endorsed by you or not? If not, officially announce it.”

What the Iranian President said

The criticism came shortly after Pezeshkian publicly apologised to neighbouring states for Iranian attacks carried out during the escalating conflict. Speaking in remarks broadcast on Iranian state television, the president sought to reassure governments across the region that Tehran does not intend to target neighbouring countries unless they are used as launch points for attacks on Iran. 

“I apologise… to the neighbouring countries that were attacked by Iran,” Pezeshkian said during the address. 

He emphasised that Tehran has adopted a policy of avoiding missile strikes against regional states unless attacks against Iran originate from their territory. 

“Iran will not carry out attacks or missile strikes against neighbouring countries unless an attack against Iran originates from those countries,” Pezeshkian said. 

Pezeshkian also noted that the policy had been approved by Iran’s interim leadership council in an effort to prevent the conflict from spreading further across the Middle East. 

In his post, the Iranian MP also called on the Assembly of Experts — the clerical body responsible for appointing the country’s Supreme Leader — to end the current temporary leadership council and swiftly select Iran’s next top leader, warning that delays could deepen political uncertainty during a period of heightened regional tensions. 

Trump claims Iran ‘apologised and surrendered’ 

Meanwhile, Donald Trump claimed that Iran had “apologised and surrendered” to its Middle Eastern neighbours following sustained military pressure from the United States and Israel, while warning that Tehran could face even harsher attacks. 

In a post on Truth Social on March 7, Trump said Iran had promised neighbouring states it would no longer target them with attacks. “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,” he wrote, attributing the move to “relentless US and Israeli attack.” 

Trump further claimed Tehran had ambitions to dominate the region but had now been forced to back down. “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,” he said. The US President also asserted that regional states had thanked him for the pressure campaign against Iran.