Iran's supreme leader threatens the US, after a long period of silence: “The only place for Americans in the Persian Gulf is at the bottom of the waters”
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, delivered a harsh message to the United States, saying that the American presence in the Persian Gulf no longer exists in the region. He warned that Tehran would remove what he called “the abuses of the enemy” from the Strait of Hormuz.
Mojtaba Khamenei. PHOTO: archive
The statement is the first public appearance of the Tehran leader after a long period of silence.
“A new chapter opens for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz”, Khamenei also conveyed in a message published on social networks.
In the statement read by a state television presenter, the Iranian leader claimed that “new leadership” of Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz will bring “calm, progress and economic benefits to all nations in the region.”
At the same time, he launched a direct attack on Washington.
“Foreigners who view this area with ill intent from thousands of miles away have no place here except at the bottom of its waters,” said the Ayatollah.
Iran vows to defend its nuclear program and military capabilities
In another message, Mojtaba Khamenei reiterated the Iranian regime's commitment to protecting the country's strategic infrastructure, including its nuclear and ballistic programs.
He declared that Iran would defend itself “its modern technological capabilities – from nano and bio to nuclear and missiles – as a national capital”.
Tehran has strengthened its control over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important energy routes, through which about 20 percent of global oil transits.
Speculation regarding his health
Khamenei has not been seen in public since his appointment to the supreme post in March following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Several international sources claim that the new leader is seriously injured and receiving treatment in a hospital, but the Iranian authorities have not confirmed the information.
Strait of Hormuz blockade and global effects
The Strait of Hormuz crisis continues to affect international markets. The mutual blockade between Iran and the United States has drastically reduced naval traffic, from 120-140 ships a day to just a few, The Guardian reports.
The price of oil has exceeded $120 per barrel, putting pressure on the US administration and Washington's allies in the Gulf.
In parallel, negotiations mediated by Pakistan on de-escalation appear to have reached a deadlock, while Washington is considering new military and diplomatic options to stabilize the region.
