Iran's new leader vows revenge, threatens U.S. bases and Strait of Hormuz closure

Iran’s new top leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, used a televised address and a post on Telegram to issue a stern warning to what he called “the enemy,” without naming the United States or Israel directly. He said Iran would demand compensation from the enemy and, if compensation cannot be obtained, would destroy the enemy’s assets to match the harm Iran has suffered. He signaled that attacks on U.S. bases in the Middle East would continue.

Khamenei asserted that Iran has maintained good relations with 15 neighboring countries, but warned that Iran’s strikes have targeted military bases, not the countries themselves, and that such attacks would persist. He urged those neighboring states to take a clear stand against the aggressors and to push for the rapid closure of U.S. bases in the region.

This was his first public stance since being selected as Iran’s supreme leader. The remarks followed a period of heightened tensions after U.S. and Israeli strikes, and concerns about Iranian retaliation and a possible widening of conflict in the Middle East. The national address was read by a state television anchor, while Khamenei did not appear in person. He has reportedly been injured in a recent airstrike.

In the same remarks, Khamenei reaffirmed Iran’s pledge to keep the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil shipments, blocked as a means of pressuring Tehran’s adversaries. He framed the strait closure as a tool of leverage in the broader confrontation.

The leader urged Iranian unity and called for participation in Quds Day, the annual pro-Palestinian solidarity event observed in Iran and by its allies. He described Iran’s network of allied groups as the “Axis of Resistance,” saying they are Iran’s closest friends and inseparable from the core values of the Islamic Revolution. He also vowed that Iran would not abandon revenge for the blood of martyrs and warned again that the enemy would face its payback, including asset destruction, if compensation could not be secured.

Analysts note the stakes are high for the region, given the potential for retaliatory strikes to target both military and energy infrastructure in the Gulf. The Hormuz chokepoint remains a focal point for Western energy security and regional stability. CNN has noted that, beyond military targets, civilian facilities and oil-related infrastructure in the region have also faced attacks, fueling concern about broader spillover into global energy markets and security policy.