Rose McGowan has said her tweet that apologised to Iran on behalf of the US for “disrespecting their flag and people” in the wake of an air strike that killed the country’s top general was not anti-American.

“I don’t support Iran over America. I want America to be better,” Ms McGowan told The Associated Press.

Her tweet read: “Dear #Iran, The USA has disrespected your country, your flag, your people. 52% of us humbly apologize. We want peace with your nation. We are being held hostage by a terrorist regime. We do not know how to escape. Please do not kill us.”

The head of Iran’s elite Quds force and mastermind of its regional security strategy, General Qassem Soleimani, was killed in a US air strike early Friday. The attack has caused regional tensions to soar.

She faced outrage over Friday’s Twitter post, with some suggesting she move to Iran. Ms McGowan acknowledged that her tweet was unusual.

“I woke up, I stupidly looked at Twitter. I was going to the bathroom, and I was like, what?” She added that she does not believe the governments of either Iran or the US.

“So, I just thought I would do something a little strange or unusual – bloodshed should be avoided if you can,” she said.

“And I kind of just thought, what if I take a really bizarre way around this. A very strange thought, I understand.”

Ms McGowan, 46, who is known for her role in the Scream movie franchise, was one of the earliest of dozens of women to accuse Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, making her a major figure in the #MeToo movement.