The US suffered a humiliating defeat — Khamenei
Iran's Supreme Leader addressed the nation, announcing that a new phase has begun in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated that the United States has suffered a humiliating defeat in its confrontation with Iran. This was reported by Al Arabiya in a news piece.
Khamenei's written address was published on Thursday via state television.
In the statement, Khamenei referenced the tensions observed in the region over the past two months and emphasized that the US military plans have failed. According to him, a "new phase" is now beginning around the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Khamenei has not appeared in public since assuming the position of Supreme Leader in March. This address of his coincided with Persian Gulf Day, which is celebrated in Iran.
In his address, Khamenei said: "US military bases in the region 'do not even have the capacity to ensure their own security, let alone protect their allies.'"
Furthermore, he assessed Iran's new management system imposed over the Strait of Hormuz as a factor of "prosperity and development" for the region.
While predicting a "bright future" in the Persian Gulf without the US, Khamenei sharply criticized external interference in the region.
Earlier, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also called a potential US naval blockade "doomed to failure."
In his view, such measures, instead of strengthening regional security, would conversely escalate tensions.
At the same time, the commander of the Iranian Navy, Shahram Irani, indicated that newly developed naval weapons would be deployed in the near future.
