Iran’s newly installed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has demanded the immediate shutdown of all United States military bases across the Middle East and ordered the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a “tool of pressure” against Western powers.
In his first official directive since succeeding his assassinated father, Mojtaba issued the ultimatum in a message broadcast on state television on March 12, warning regional countries that any facility aiding “aggression” against Iran would remain a legitimate target for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
“The countries of the region must clarify their stance regarding the aggressors against our dear homeland,” he stated. “I recommend that they shut down those bases as soon as possible, for they must surely have realised by now that America’s claim of establishing security and peace has been nothing but a lie.”
Mojtaba also vowed to seek “reparations” for war victims, citing a recent strike on a school in Minab, and warned that failure to pay would lead Iran to seize or destroy equivalent enemy assets.
President Masoud Pezeshkian outlined a three-point diplomatic plan — recognition of Iran’s rights, payment of reparations and firm international guarantees — after talks with Russian and Pakistani leaders.
The Strait closure has driven Brent crude above $100 per barrel, described by the International Energy Agency as the “biggest oil market disruption in history.”
US President Donald Trump said stopping Iran’s “evil empire” remained a higher priority than stabilising oil prices.
The demands come 13 days after the US-Israeli strikes that killed the previous Supreme Leader.
