New Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said Iran should continue ‘blocking the Strait of Hormuz’ in his first statement since his election, read out on Iranian State television on Thursday (12 March).
Khamenei, who is still yet to appear in public, told Iranians, "we will not forgo revenge for the blood of your martyrs” who have been killed in the conflict with the U.S. and Israel in the statement, which was read out by a presenter.
The price of oil rose to over $100 a barrel on Thursday as attacks on sea traffic in the Strait of Hormuz escalated. At least six ships have now been targeted in the vital sea passage, which lies between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
In the statement, Khamenei also demanded the U.S. close its regional military bases, which have been used to launch attacks on Iran.
“I advise that they shut down those bases as soon as possible, because they must have realised by now that the claim of establishing security and peace by America was nothing but a lie,” he said.
Khamenei said Tehran would continue striking American bases in the region, while striving to avoid hitting the nations hosting such bases.
But he added: "These countries must clarify their stance regarding the aggressors against our dear homeland and the murderers of our people."
The statement began with a tribute to his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.-Israel airstrikes on 28 February.
"I had the privilege to visit his body after his martyrdom. What I saw was a mountain of solidity, and I heard that his remaining sound fist was clenched,” Khamenei said.
The 56-year-old added that he found out about his appointment as new Supreme Leader by the Assembly of Experts at the same time as the public via television.
Following in the footsteps of his father Khamenei and Iran’s first Supreme Leader Ruhollah Khomeini was a "difficult task," he added.
But Khamenei said he was inspired by the resolve the Iranian people had shown in the days after his father’s death. The Iranian people had shown “steadfastness, bravery, and presence,” during the period when Iran was without a leader, he said.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy...
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s effor...
China’s GJ-21 carrier-based stealth reconnaissance and strike drone has completed its first take-off and landing on board the Sichuan, the co...
The Middle East conflict remains tense as diplomatic efforts continue alongside renewed Houthi attacks. Iran says it remains open to mediation, while the Saudi-led coalition says it intercepted a ballistic missile fired towards the kingdom.
Evacuations and the provision of humanitarian aid in the Russian-occupied southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky have begun, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. In a statement on Telegram, David Arakhamia said a six-day ceasefire was holding, and that more details would follow.
Rescuers searched the wreckage of two high-speed trains in central Spain on Thursday as the death toll rose to a provisional 74, making it the country's second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
Qatari mediators returned to Tehran on Friday as part of efforts to reach a deal between the U.S. and Iran, according to an official briefed on the talks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia remains willing to rebuild relations with European countries but warned that any wider conflict on the continent would leave no winners, as he commented on recent diplomatic contacts with Nordic leaders and growing security concerns in the Baltic region.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
Georgia and Azerbaijan are stepping up efforts to boost trade, strengthen transport links between Asia and Europe and resolve a longstanding border dispute, as both countries seek to deepen their strategic partnership.
People travelling between Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan could soon be able to pay for purchases using their usual banking apps. Central banks from the five countries are working on linking their national payment systems.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment