“Iran is no longer the bully of the Middle East,” says Trump after Tehran "surrenders" to neighbouring countries

US President Donald Trump has claimed that Iran has effectively “surrendered” to its Middle East neighbours after Tehran issued an apology to countries affected by recent attacks during the ongoing regional conflict. In a strongly worded statement, Trump said Iran’s leadership promised it would no longer fire missiles or launch attacks against neighbouring nations, attributing the move to sustained military pressure from the United States and Israel.

Trump asserted that Iran’s decision to step back from attacking regional countries was a direct consequence of what he described as relentless strikes carried out by US and Israeli forces. According to him, Tehran had previously sought to dominate the Middle East but had now been forced to retreat from its aggressive posture. He also claimed that Iran had apologised to neighbouring states and assured them that further attacks would not occur unless Iran itself was attacked first.

In his remarks, Trump went further, declaring that Iran was no longer the “bully of the Middle East” and describing the country as the “loser of the Middle East.” He said that the situation marked a significant shift in regional power dynamics and suggested that the pressure campaign against Tehran had achieved a major strategic objective.

At the same time, Trump warned that Iran could face even harsher military action if tensions continued. He said Iran would be “hit very hard,” adding that additional targets within the country were under consideration due to what he called Tehran’s “bad behaviour.” The comments come as tensions remain high in the region amid the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.