Mojtaba Khamenei delivered his first message since becoming Iran’s supreme leader, declaring that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz will remain closed as tensions escalate across the Persian Gulf. The statement, read by an anchor on Iranian state television, marked the first public communication attributed to Khamenei since he succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in strikes tied to the expanding conflict involving the United States and Israel.

Khamenei has not appeared publicly since taking power, and his location and health remain uncertain amid reports he may have been wounded during earlier U.S. and Israeli strikes. Analysts say the decision to communicate through a written statement rather than a televised address likely reflects security concerns.

In the message, the new leader described the narrow waterway — through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes — as a strategic pressure point for Iran: “Certainly, the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz should still be used,” Khamenei said, according to the statement aired on television.

Iran has threatened to attack ships belonging to the United States, Israel, or their allies that attempt to move through the channel, and several oil tankers have already been struck in the region. The disruption has rattled global markets, pushing oil prices above $100 per barrel at times.

The International Energy Agency warned the conflict has created the “largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” even after multiple countries agreed to release hundreds of millions of barrels from emergency reserves.

Beyond the shipping crisis, the new leader also vowed retaliation for civilian deaths during the conflict, including victims of a strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in the Iranian city of Minab. “I assure everyone that we will not abandon the pursuit of justice for the blood of your martyrs,” he said. He added that vengeance would be pursued for “the blood of our children,” and that “the crime deliberately committed by the enemy against the Shajareh Tayyebeh school in Minab, and similar cases, will receive particular attention.” Khamenei also defended Iran’s military actions in neighboring countries, saying they are directed at foreign military installations linked to the United States.

Meanwhile, the widening conflict has continued to disrupt shipping and energy infrastructure throughout the Persian Gulf.  President Trump has downplayed the surge in oil prices, arguing that higher energy costs can benefit U.S. producers, while officials say the U.S. Navy has not yet begun escorting commercial vessels through the contested waterway.

Editorial credit: Steve Travelguide / Shutterstock.com