Iran’s supreme leader vows ‘bitter defeats’ for enemies as Hormuz tensions rise

TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Saturday that the country’s navy was ready to inflict “new bitter defeats on its enemies,” in a statement posted on his Telegram channel, as tensions escalated over the Strait of Hormuz.

In the message, Khamenei struck a defiant tone, saying Iran’s military forces remained prepared for confrontation amid rising maritime tensions in the strategic waterway.

Khamenei has not been seen publicly since he was reportedly injured in a strike that killed his father, Iran’s former supreme leader, according to earlier reports.

His comments came as maritime security sources said some merchant vessels had received radio messages from Iran’s navy declaring that the Strait of Hormuz was shut again and warning that no ships were permitted to pass.

At least two commercial vessels reported coming under gunfire while attempting to transit the strait, according to three maritime security and shipping sources. There was no immediate confirmation of damage or casualties.

Earlier on Saturday, maritime tracking data showed a convoy of eight tankers moving through the strait, marking the first major commercial passage in weeks following disruptions linked to the conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States.

However, Iran later said it was reimposing strict military control over the waterway, citing what it described as repeated US violations and “acts of piracy” related to a blockade on Iranian ports.

The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, handling roughly a fifth of global seaborne crude trade under normal conditions.

The United States did not immediately respond to the latest developments.