Strait of Hormuz will stay closed, used as leverage, warns Mojtaba Khamenei

Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed and be used as a tool to pressure Iran’s enemies, even as he vowed to continue attacks against his country's neighbours in the wider West Asia region.

He also called for the immediate closure of all United States' bases in the region, failing which they would continue to face attacks. The remarks were part of his first message since he assumed leadership following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who Iranian authorities said was killed in joint US-Israeli strikes on February 28, the first day of the conflict that is now nearing two weeks.


Khamenei, however, failed to make an appearance; instead, his first statement as Supreme Leader of Iran was read out by an anchor on state television. The Israeli military has said that Khamenei is likely injured from the US-Israel strikes on February 28.

In the statement, Khamenei also said Iran would seek compensation from its enemies or destroy their assets to the same extent.

Strait of Hormuz to remain closed

Khamenei also said the strategic Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as a form of pressure against Iran’s adversaries.

“The closure of the Strait of Hormuz should continue as a tool to pressure the enemy,” he said in the televised message, as quoted by Reuters. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with global shipping routes and remains a critical corridor for energy supplies.

Warning to US bases in the region

Khamenei demanded that American military installations across West Asia be shut immediately and warned that they would be targeted if they remained operational.

“All US bases in the region should immediately be closed, and those bases will be attacked,” he said in the statement, AP reported.

He also asked governments in the West Asia to close facilities used for attacks on Iran “as soon as possible”. According to Iranian state media, Khamenei said those countries “by now must have realised that America’s claim of establishing security and peace has been nothing more than a lie”.

Khamenei also referred to the possibility of opening “other fronts”, although he did not provide any specifics. Western officials have previously expressed concern that Iran could activate sleeper cells in Europe or the US, the New York Times reported.

Iran says it targets bases, not neighbours

Khamenei said Iran sought good relations with neighbouring countries and insisted that Tehran was not targeting them directly.

“Iran believes in friendship with its neighbours,” he said, according to Iranian state media, adding that the country would only strike military bases used to launch attacks against it.

He said those bases would continue to be targeted if necessary.

Call to avenge those killed in the war

The Iranian leader said the country would continue fighting to avenge those killed during the conflict.

“Iran will not refrain from avenging the blood of the martyrs,” he said, referring to victims ranging from the slain former Supreme Leader to children killed in attacks, Al-Jazeera reported.

Iranian officials have said that at least 175 people, most of them children, died in a strike on a school in Minab last week.

Khamenei, in his statement, also said the resistance in Yemen “will also do the job”, adding that armed groups in Iraq “want to help” Iran’s Islamic revolution, New York Times reported.

Message to the military and allied groups

Khamenei thanked Iran’s armed forces for defending the country during the conflict. “I would like to thank the brave fighters who are doing a great job at a time when our country is under pressure and under attack,” he said, as quoted by Al-Jazeera.

He also praised the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, describing it as “self-sacrificing” for supporting Iran during the confrontation. Hezbollah fired hundreds of rockets at Israel after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, according to the NYT, which cited Iranian state media for Khamenei's statement.

Call for unity and support for civilians

Khamenei further called for unity among Iranians and urged people to participate in Quds Day, an annual anti-Zionist and pro-Palestinian protest observed on the last Friday of Ramadan.

He also announced financial support measures for civilians affected by the conflict, Al-Jazeera reported. Those wounded would receive free treatment, while the government would provide financial compensation to people who suffered damage during the war, it said.