Iran
A woman walks past a banner depicting Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, along a street in Tehran on April 5, 2026. Photo: AFP
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that Iran shares a “common destiny” with its Gulf neighbors, while warning that the United States has “no place” in the region’s future.
In a message carried by state media, Khamenei emphasized regional unity but denounced foreign involvement.
“Foreigners who, from thousands of kilometers away, act with greedy malice here, have no place in it - except at the bottom of its waters,” he said.
Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, following his death during last month’s war involving Israel and the United States, has largely stayed out of the public eye. Washington has repeatedly claimed he was wounded in the conflict.
“By divine power, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be one without America, dedicated to the progress, comfort, and prosperity of its nations,” he added.
Khamenei’s remarks come as a US blockade on Iranian ports, imposed on April 13, continues to strain Iran’s economy. The measures have restricted exports through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for roughly one-fifth of global energy supplies.
US President Donald Trump extended a Pakistani-brokered ceasefire with Iran on April 21 after direct talks earlier in the month. However, negotiations remain stalled, with the Strait of Hormuz emerging as a key sticking point. Washington has linked lifting the blockade to a broader agreement with Tehran.
The US Central Command said Wednesday it had diverted 42 Iranian vessels, leaving Tehran unable to sell around 61 million barrels of crude stored on tankers at sea.
Meanwhile, analytics firm Kpler told Rudaw English that Iranian oil exports could fall to zero, as growing inventories remain unable to reach buyers due to the blockade.
CENTCOM also announced Friday the deployment of 12 naval vessels, including three aircraft carriers, alongside more than 200 aircraft and over 15,000 Marine personnel across the region.
Khamenei also criticized Arab states hosting US military bases, questioning Washington’s ability to guarantee regional security. “America’s hollow bases do not even possess the strength to ensure their own security, let alone provide any hope for securing its dependents in the region,” he said.
During the nearly six-week war with the US and Israel that began on February 28, Iran and its allied groups launched at least 6,000 missiles and drones toward Arab and Gulf countries, citing the presence of US bases as justification.
Comments
Rudaw moderates all comments submitted on our website. We welcome comments which are relevant to the article and encourage further discussion about the issues that matter to you. We also welcome constructive criticism about Rudaw.
To be approved for publication, however, your comments must meet our community guidelines.
We will not tolerate the following: profanity, threats, personal attacks, vulgarity, abuse (such as sexism, racism, homophobia or xenophobia), or commercial or personal promotion.
Comments that do not meet our guidelines will be rejected. Comments are not edited – they are either approved or rejected.
Post a comment