In his first statement since assuming the role of Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei warned Middle Eastern countries hosting U.S. forces that their military bases must close immediately, or Iran will regard them as legitimate targets.
Broadcast on state television, the ayatollah’s remarks marked his first public address since succeeding his father, Ali Khamenei, killed in Israeli-American strikes on February 28 amid escalating war. He affirmed Iran’s desire for amicable relations with neighbors but vowed continued strikes on regional U.S. facilities. Khamenei spotlighted the Strait of Hormuz—a critical maritime passage from the Gulf to the Indian Ocean, through which about one-fifth of global oil and significant liquefied natural gas flows—threatening to blockade it after recent tanker hits in retaliation for U.S.-Israeli actions.
Aligning with Father’s Line
Khamenei raised opening additional fronts, referencing Yemen’s “resistance” (Houthi Ansar Allah movement) and Tehran-backed Iraqi armed groups that could join if the conflict persists.
Background and Rise
Born in 1969 in Mashhad, Mojtaba is the former leader’s second son, raised post-1979 Islamic Revolution. Trained in Qom’s Shia seminaries, he specialized in Islamic jurisprudence and taught advanced theology without prior official government roles. His ascension followed family deaths in strikes on their Tehran residence.
Aid and Reparations Pledge
He promised financial and medical support for Iranian war victims, demanding reparations from adversaries and threatening to seize or destroy enemy assets if unme