Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public remarks since taking office, outlining a hardline stance on the United States and the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing conflict in the Gulf region. He warned that Iran would avenge the blood of its martyrs and keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.
"All US bases should be immediately closed in the region otherwise they will be attacked," Mojtaba Khamenei said.
The defiant statement, delivered through Iranian state television and read by a presenter rather than the leader himself, came amid escalating hostilities between Iran, the United States and Israel. Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public since the announcement of his appointment as the country’s highest authority.
In his remarks, the new Iranian leader warned that American military installations across the region would remain potential targets unless they are shut down.
He also addressed Iran’s position on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy routes linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. The waterway carries a significant share of global oil shipments and has become a focal point in the ongoing crisis.
In remarks translated by BBC Persian and broadcast on state television, Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran should continue using the strategic choke point as leverage in the conflict. He said the "lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz" should still be used by Iran.
At the same time, he sought to stress that Tehran’s policy toward neighbouring countries remains cooperative. According to the statement, Iran supports friendly relations with regional states but warned them against hosting American forces.
The new Iranian leader said Iran would not hesitate to retaliate for the killing of Iranian civilians. He specifically referenced the attack in the southern Iranian city of Minab, where a missile strike destroyed a girls’ school during the opening day of the war.
"We will not hesitate to avenge the blood of Iranians," he said.
The strike on the school killed at least 168 people, including around 110 children, according to Iranian authorities.
In his remarks, the new Iranian leader also thanked Iran’s network of allied armed groups across the Middle East. He said the "resistance" movement in Yemen and armed groups in Iraq would continue to play a role in the war against Iran’s adversaries.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of Iran’s former supreme leader, assumed power after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
