Middle East

Iran’s New Leader Issues 1st Statement, Says Hormuz Closure Should Be Used as Leverage

Mojtaba Khamenei threatened countries hosting U.S. bases, urging them to shut the facilities or face consequences.
Iran’s New Leader Issues 1st Statement, Says Hormuz Closure Should Be Used as Leverage
New Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei, the second son of the late Ali Khamenei, attends a meeting in Tehran, Iran, on Oct. 13, 2024. Hamed Jafarnejad/ISNA/WANA via Reuters
Evgenia Filimianova
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Newly appointed Iranian leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on March 12 that the Strait of Hormuz must remain closed for leverage and vowed retaliation for Iranians killed in the conflict, according to Iranian state outlet the Islamic Republic News Agency.

The statement was delivered in writing rather than in person, and another person read it aloud on a TV broadcast on the Iranian leader’s behalf. It was Mojtaba Khamenei’s first major address since being chosen to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in U.S.–Israeli strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.
Evgenia Filimianova
Evgenia Filimianova
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Evgenia Filimianova is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of international stories, with a particular interest in foreign policy, economy, and UK politics.