Iran's New Supreme Leader Vows to Eliminate 'Enemy's Abuses' of Strait of Hormuz

Key facts

• Mojtaba Khamenei became supreme leader in early March after his father died in a bombing on 28 February.
• No recording or visual sighting of Khamenei has been broadcast since his appointment; reports say he was injured in the bombing.
• Khamenei's statement vowed to secure the Strait of Hormuz and eliminate 'the enemy's abuses of the waterway'.
• The US mounted a counter-blockade on 13 April to stop oil tankers moving in or out of Iranian ports.
• Vessel traffic in the strait has fallen to as low as three ships a day, compared with 120–140 in normal conditions.
• Oil prices have risen above $120 a barrel, nearing $125 after Trump admitted no short way out of the impasse.
• Pakistan-mediated talks are at an impasse, with no sign of either blockade being lifted.

Defiant Statement Breaks Weeks of Silence

Iran's supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has broken his recent silence with a defiant statement hailing Iran's control over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and vowing to guard the country's nuclear and missile programmes. The statement, read by a state television anchor, marks the first public communication from Khamenei since he was appointed supreme leader in early March. No recording or visual sighting of him has been broadcast since then, and reports suggest he was severely injured in the bombing that killed his 86-year-old father and predecessor on 28 February. He is said to be in hospital being treated for injuries.

A New Chapter for the Persian Gulf

“Today, two months after the largest military deployment and aggression by the world’s bullies in the region, and the United States’ disgraceful defeat in its plans, a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei said in the statement. The statement said Tehran would secure the Gulf region and eliminate what he described as “the enemy’s abuses of the waterway”. It added that “new management of the strait will bring comfort and progress for the benefit of all the nations of the region and economic blessings will bring joy to the hearts of the people”.

Nuclear and Missile Programmes as 'National Capital'

Speaking to mark Persian Gulf Day in Iran, Khamenei also vowed that Iran would “guard its modern technological capacities – from nano to bio to nuclear and missile – as their national capital and will guard it like their maritime land and air borders”. This assertion underscores Tehran's determination to retain its strategic capabilities amid international pressure. The statement suggests Iran is determined to implement a new fees regime in the strait that it will present as benefiting the entire region as a belated assertion of regional sovereignty.

Oil Prices Surge as Blockades Bite

Since 13 April the US has mounted a counter-blockade designed to stop oil tankers moving in or out of Iranian ports, seizing up the Iranian oil industry. With Pakistan-mediated talks at an impasse, there is little sign of either blockade being lifted, pushing the oil price above $120 a barrel. Vessel traffic levels are still extremely low, sometimes as low as three ships a day compared with 120–140 in normal conditions. Trump's admission on Wednesday that he knew no short way out of the impasse pushed oil prices close to $125 a barrel – as high as during the first weeks of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Threats to Foreign Powers

Khamenei's statement included a direct threat: “Foreigners who maliciously covet it [the strait] from thousands of kilometres away have no place there except at the bottom of its waters.” The strait's closure has put pressure on Trump, as oil and petrol prices have rocketed before crucial midterm elections, as well as on his Gulf allies, which use the waterway to export their oil and gas. the US military was still feeding Trump options to resume strikes.

Outlook: Impasse and Uncertainty

With no breakthrough in sight, the dual blockades continue to choke global oil supplies and raise economic tensions. Khamenei's defiant statement signals that Iran will not back down, while the US counter-blockade shows no signs of easing. The coming weeks will test whether diplomatic channels can reopen or whether the standoff escalates further. For now, the world watches a narrow waterway that carries one-fifth of global oil, now at the centre of a high-stakes confrontation.

The bottom line

• Mojtaba Khamenei's first public statement as supreme leader reaffirms Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear/missile programmes.
• The US counter-blockade since 13 April has slashed vessel traffic in the strait from 120–140 ships a day to as low as three.
• Oil prices have surged past $120 a barrel, nearing $125, amid the impasse.
• Pakistan-mediated talks are stalled, with no resolution in sight.
• Khamenei's statement threatens foreign powers, saying they have 'no place except at the bottom of its waters'.
• The standoff pressures Trump ahead of midterm elections and affects Gulf allies reliant on the waterway for exports.