Mojtaba Khamenei says new Strait of Hormuz management ‘will bring calm’

DUBAI: Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said on Thursday that the future of the Gulf region would be “bright without the United States”, warning that foreign military presence was the main source of instability and vowing to defend Iran’s strategic capabilities.

In a message published by state news agency IRNA to mark National Persian Gulf Day, Khamenei said a new chapter was emerging in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz following what he described as the failure of U.S. plans after nearly two months of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

“The future of the Persian Gulf will be without America,” he said, adding that there was “no place for foreign elements” in the region and that Gulf nations shared a common destiny.

Khamenei said the Strait of Hormuz had long been a focal point of global competition and external interest, describing it as a target of “greed” for centuries.

He said recent events had demonstrated the “steadfastness and vigilance” of Iranian forces, claiming that Tehran had resisted external pressure during the conflict that began in late February.

Blaming regional insecurity on U.S. military deployments, Khamenei said American bases in the Gulf had failed to ensure stability and instead contributed to tensions.

“It has become clear that the presence of the United States and its bases is the biggest cause of insecurity in the region,” he said, also criticising Israel’s actions alongside Washington.

He added that Iran would firmly safeguard its nuclear and missile capabilities, which he described as a national asset.

“The Iranian people will protect these capabilities just as they defend their land, water and airspace,” he said.

The remarks come amid heightened tensions in the Gulf, where concerns over maritime security and energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz — a key global oil transit route — have intensified in recent weeks.