Iran’s New Leader Vows Revenge, Keeps Strait of Hormuz Blockade, Targets U.S. Bases
Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, issued his first public statement four days after taking office, delivered by a state television anchor. In the message, he pledged revenge for the blood of martyrs and called for maintaining the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran would continue strikes on U.S. bases in the region if necessary.
He referenced the deaths of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in U.S.- and Israel-led strikes, along with 175 people killed in the bombing of a southern Minab girls’ elementary school, and said Iran would not hesitate to avenge those casualties. The speaker tied these past harms to Iran’s current posture in the Middle East.
The statement insisted the Strait of Hormuz must remain a pressure tool against adversaries and warned that Iran could open another front if needed. The leader also said Iran seeks cordial ties with 15 neighboring countries but singled out U.S. bases as targets.
He demanded the immediate closure of U.S. military bases, warning that attacks would continue if bases remained open. He added that Iran would pursue reparations from its adversaries, and if such payments could not be secured, Iran would respond by damaging their property.
The message also thanked “the military” for keeping the country from being occupied or divided. Iranian media noted the announcement did not include a public appearance or video, fueling questions about who holds influence and about the leader’s health and whereabouts.
Analysts cited by international outlets said the channeling of this message reinforced the hardline stance of the late leader’s legacy rather than signaling a strategic shift. Iran’s leader has not appeared publicly, and questions about his health and location persist.
Context for international readers: Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was elected by Iran’s Expert Assembly, a body of 88 senior Shiite clerics, on March 8 to be his successor. He has not been seen in public since his selection, and this first statement did not address his personal health or appearance.
Why this matters to the United States: the hardline position, emphasis on striking U.S. bases, and persistence of the Hormuz blockade suggest potential risks for regional security and for energy markets, given the Strait of Hormuz’s role as a major global oil conduit. The posture could affect U.S.-allied security efforts in the Gulf, sanctions enforcement, and the stability of shipping routes that underpin global oil and gas supplies.