Iran’s New Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei Speaks For First Time, Vows Revenge And Strait Closure

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has spoken publicly for the first time since taking power, vowing to avenge his father’s death, maintain closure of the Strait of Hormuz and launch attacks on United States military bases in the region.

State television broadcast Khamenei’s defiant statement Thursday, marking his first remarks since he succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in American Israeli airstrikes two weeks ago.

Khamenei demanded Washington shut down all American military installations across the Middle East and declared Iran would keep the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz closed to international shipping.

“Iran will avenge the blood of its martyrs, keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and attack US bases. The United States must close all its bases in the region. The Strait should remain shut to put pressure on the enemy,” Khamenei said in the statement.

Naija News gathered that the Strait of Hormuz, which runs along Iran’s coastline, serves as the passage for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies, giving Tehran significant leverage over global energy markets.

Iran Claims Responsibility For Multiple Ship Attacks

The new supreme leader’s first public address came as two oil tankers caught fire in an Iraqi port on Thursday after suspected Iranian explosive-laden boats rammed into them. The coordinated strikes killed at least one crew member.

Verified images filmed from the shore of Basra port in Iraq showed ships engulfed in a massive fire. Iraqi authorities blamed Iranian naval vessels for orchestrating the attacks.

The assault on the tankers in Basra represented an escalation in Iran’s maritime campaign that has successfully disrupted oil exports from the Middle East, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claim that America had won the conflict he initiated two weeks earlier.

Also, earlier Thursday, attackers targeted three additional vessels sailing in the Gulf. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed responsibility for striking at least one ship, a Thai bulk carrier that burst into flames after the crew allegedly ignored orders from Iranian forces.

The Guards justified the attack by stating the Thai vessel had disobeyed their commands. Another container ship reported sustaining damage from an unidentified projectile while sailing near the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

In addition, Khamenei’s first statement as Iran’s highest authority signals Tehran’s determination to continue its aggressive posture against Washington despite ongoing American military operations targeting Iranian positions and infrastructure across the region.

Meanwhile, thousands of American troops remain deployed across Iraq, Syria, Kuwait and other Gulf states, making them potential targets for the retaliatory strikes Khamenei promised in his first address to the Iranian people.