Iran's new supreme leader pledges to keep Hormuz closed in first public statement
(VOVWORLD) -In his first statement, Iran’s new supreme leader said Thursday morning, “The Strait of Hormuz must remain closed. American bases in the Middle East must be closed. Iran’s other military and regional capabilities will be activated if necessary.”
 Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of late Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, October 13, 2024. File Photo: Hamed Jafarnejad/ISNA/WANA/REUTERS |
The Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s statement was read on Iranian state media. Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, reportedly injured in an airstrike, has not appeared in public since his nomination as the new Supreme Leader on March 8.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Thursday announced it will continue to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz following a call from the country's new leader.
Amidst escalating military tensions in the Middle East, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned on Thursday that Tehran will “abandon all restraint” if the United States and Israel attack any of its islands in the Gulf.