Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has declared that the United States has suffered a \u201cshameful defeat,\u201d rejecting President Donald Trump\u2019s warning that a US naval blockade could be enforced for months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a message read out on state television, Khamenei said, \u201cToday, two months after the largest military deployment and aggression by the world\u2019s bullies in the region, and the United States\u2019 disgraceful defeat in its plans, a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The statement came as he has not appeared publicly since his appointment on March 9 as Iran\u2019s new supreme leader, following what was described as a major US and Israeli military campaign on February 28 that killed his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khamenei said US bases in the region \u201clack even the capacity to ensure their own security, let alone provide any hope of securing their allies,\u201d while praising Iran\u2019s \u201cnew legal framework and management\u201d of the strategic Strait of Hormuz. He said this approach would bring \u201ccomfort and progress\u201d to regional countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy chokepoint, has remained a flashpoint amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Iran reportedly allowing only limited maritime traffic through the waterway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that Iran\u2019s future for the Gulf region would not include foreign interference, saying those who come from thousands of kilometres away \u201chave no place there except at the bottom of its waters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Khamenei further criticised what he called the historical role of Western powers, saying European and American interventions had brought \u201cinsecurity, damage, and multiple threats\u201d to Gulf countries, reflecting \u201cmalicious schemes of global oppressors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also highlighted Iran\u2019s national strength, saying the country considers its \u201cidentity, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial, and advanced technologies from nano and bio to nuclear and missile fields\u201d as its national capital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier on Thursday, Iran\u2019s President Masoud Pezeshkian also dismissed the threat of a US naval blockade in response to tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, saying such actions were \u201cdoomed to fail\u201d and would only increase regional instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He warned that such measures would \u201cnot only fail to enhance regional security, but are in fact a source of tension and a disruption to lasting stability in the Persian Gulf.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Separately, Iran\u2019s Navy Commander Shahram Irani said the country would soon deploy newly developed naval weaponry, signalling further military preparedness amid rising regional tensions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Iran\u2019s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has declared that the United States has suffered a \u201cshameful defeat,\u201d rejecting President Donald Trump\u2019s warning that a US naval blockade could be enforced… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3642,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[57,165,254],"class_list":["post-3641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world","tag-iran","tag-middle-east-tensions","tag-united-states"],"yoast_head":"\n