Live updates: Follow the latest news on Iran war
Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Tehran will impose “new management” over the Strait of Hormuz, as an Iranian military commander warned of “long and painful strikes” on US positions if Washington resumes military action.
Two months into a conflict triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, the vital shipping lane remains closed, disrupting about 20 per cent of global oil and gas flows. The blockade has pushed energy prices higher and raised concerns about a potential global economic slowdown.
Diplomatic efforts have stalled despite a ceasefire in place since April 8. Iran has kept the strait shut, citing what it describes as a US naval campaign targeting its oil exports.
“Iran will secure the Gulf region and end the hostile misuse of this waterway,” Mr Khamenei said in a message to the Iranian people published on Telegram. He added a new legal framework governing the strait would bring “comfort and development” to regional countries.
Mr Khamenei said “following America's humiliating failure in its schemes, a new chapter is being written” for the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
The new supreme leader has not been seen in public since succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war on February 28.
His statement came as a senior commander in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that even a limited US strike would trigger retaliation across the region.
“We've seen what happened to your regional bases, we will see the same thing happen to your warships,” Aerospace Force Commander Majid Mousavi was quoted as saying by Iranian media.
Commanders to brief Trump
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday any US attempt to impose a naval blockade or restrict Tehran's maritime activity “is doomed to failure”.
In a separate message to Iranians, Mr Pezeshkian accused Tehran's “adversaries” of shifting pressure tactics towards economic and maritime arenas, including what he described as efforts to impose restrictions on key trade routes.
“Any attempt to impose a naval blockade and restriction on it is contrary to international law and a threat to the interests of the nations of the region and global peace and stability, and is doomed to failure,” he said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is expected to receive a briefing on potential military options against Iran from the head of US Central Command, Brad Cooper, Axios reported.
The US news outlet said options under consideration include a “short and powerful” wave of strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, as well as plans to reopen the strait to commercial shipping – potentially involving ground forces. Another scenario reportedly involves a special forces operation to secure Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
There has been no confirmation from the White House regarding the reported meeting.
While Washington and Tehran continue to exchange threats, Pakistan is seeking to mediate to prevent further escalation, with both sides still communicating indirectly on the possibility of a broader agreement, a Pakistani source told Reuters.
