Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, delivered his first message to the nation, urging unity among the Iranian people. In the statement, he warned that the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical shipping routes, will remain closed and may be used as a “tool of pressure.”
The message, broadcast on Iranian state television and read by a news anchor, also included a warning directed at the United States. It stated that all U.S. military bases in the region must be shut down or they “will be attacked.”
Since his appointment as Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared in public.