Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s new Supreme Leader, issued his first official statement, insisting that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will continue. The move reaffirmed Tehran’s firm stance to maintain the blockade on the world’s most critical oil trade route in response to the ongoing conflict.
In a speech broadcast on state television, Khamenei called on neighboring countries to close US military bases on their territory. He also warned of opening a “new battlefield” if military operations against Iran were not halted, and demanded compensation for damage suffered.
Khamenei stressed that Iran’s military targets were only focused on US assets. He also urged Iranians to turn out in large numbers for national rallies to show support for the new leadership.
President Donald Trump responded by saying that the US’s position as the world’s top oil producer gave it an economic advantage as energy prices soared. However, he insisted that the economic agenda was secondary to the national security goal of crippling Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump issued a stark warning on his Truth Social platform that he would never allow Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon or continue to destabilize the world. The statement marked a widening diplomatic rift between the two leaders amid the escalating crisis.
