Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a stark warning to the United States, declaring that the only place for Americans in the Persian Gulf is 'at the bottom of its waters'. The hardline leader broke his silence in a statement carried by Iranian state TV, marking his first public remarks since taking power.
Khamenei claimed that Tehran's 'new management' of the Strait of Hormuz would bring 'calm and progress' as well as economic benefits for all nations. However, he paired this with a chilling threat, vowing to eliminate 'the enemy's abuses of the waterway'. In a separate social media post, he said: 'A new chapter for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is unfolding.'
The Supreme Leader also defended Iran's nuclear and missile capabilities as vital national assets, despite US efforts to secure a deal limiting them. In a written statement read on state television, he said Iranians regard these capabilities as assets that must be protected 'just as they protect the country's waters, land and airspace'.
The remarks come amid heightened tensions following the war with the US and Israel, which began on February 28. Iran's economy is reportedly reeling under a US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, which has sent the rial to a record low and piled pressure on the regime amid stalled ceasefire talks.
