Strait of Hormuz must remain closed

In his first public statement since his appointment, Iran’s new religious leader Mojtaba Khamenei said that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz maritime passage should be continued as a “means of putting pressure on the enemy”.

In television comments translated by Reuters, Khamenei also said all US military bases in the Middle East should be closed immediately and “these bases will be attacked”.

Oil prices continued their rise after the statement was read by a state television broadcaster.

This is Khamenei’s first public statement since he was appointed Iran’s supreme leader on March 9 after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes that began in late February.

Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in an attack on his father’s compound, in which the ayatollah and other close members of the family were killed.

Calling for unity among the Iranian people, Khamenei said, “Iran will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs.” he said.

Khamenei, 56, is seen as more strict and conservative than his father, although he kept a low profile in Iran before being elected as the supreme leader to succeed him.

In his statement to Fox News, US President Donald Trump expressed his “disappointment” in the election of senior Iranian clerics and said, “I do not believe he can live in peace.”

Despite Trump’s comments, it is unclear whether the White House is targeting regime change in Tehran as one of its main goals in the military operation. Experts say airstrikes alone will not be enough to topple Iran’s leadership.

While air and sea strikes have intensified this week, there is no sign that US-Israeli attacks on Iran’s critical and military infrastructure are nearing an end. Iran has also stepped up retaliatory attacks this week, attacking tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran would seek compensation from enemies “or destroy their assets accordingly.”

— This is breaking news, please check for further updates.