Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that amid ongoing tensions with the US, there is no place for “foreign powers” in the Persian Gulf except in “the depths of its waters”. This was said in a message broadcast on government media.
More than seven weeks after he was declared the new supreme leader following his father’s assassination, Iranians have neither seen nor heard from Khamenei; But he has issued several written messages.
‘Iran will protect its nuclear and missile capabilities’
“We and our neighbors across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman are linked by a shared future, and foreign powers, who come from thousands of kilometers away with greedy intentions, have no place here, except in the depths of its waters,” he said, according to a reported statement.
In the message, Khamenei also said Iran had entered a new chapter of the “regional and global order”, state television reported. He said Iran would “protect” its nuclear and missile capabilities, which have been the main points of contention in any deal with the US.
Trump is preparing for a long-term blockade
This message on Thursday has come at a time when sources say that US President Donald Trump is preparing for a long-term blockade of Iranian ports; They are considering this as the main means to force Iran to resume talks to end the war.
Khamenei’s statement came just days after US Secretary of State Mark Rubio said the US had indications that the Ayatollah was alive, but questioned whether he “really has the religious qualifications to serve as supreme leader.”