Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a scathing written statement on Thursday, threatening the United States and its naval blockade of the country, and declaring that Tehran would defend its nuclear and missile capabilities as it would its own territory.
The new Ayatollah went on to declare a new vision of the Strait of Hormuz, one “without America,” accusing the U.S. of acting with “greed and malice” and declaring that the U.S. Navy belongs at the bottom of the strait.
🚨 JUST NOW: Iranian "Supreme Leader" Mojtaba Khamenei WENT OFF vowing to sink American ships to the "bottom of its waters" 🤡
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) April 30, 2026
The blockade is DEVASTATING Iran, which is why Khamenei put out this statement
President Trump will today be briefed on possible US military plans by… pic.twitter.com/9TCH5p1voK
“Ninety million proud and honorable Iranians inside and outside the country regard all of Iran’s identity-based, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial and technological capacities — from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities — as national assets, and will protect them just as they protect the country’s waters, land and airspace,” Khamenei wrote.
“By God’s help and power, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without America, one serving the progress, comfort and prosperity of its people," he continued.
“We and our neighbors across the waters of the Persian Gulf and the [Gulf] of Oman share a common destiny. Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometers away to act with greed and malice there have no place in it — except at the bottom of its waters.”
The statement comes as Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since assuming his role. Reports continue to circulate that he was critically injured in the initial military strike that killed his father, with some claiming he has been in a coma for the past two months.
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The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the more fanatical arm of the regime, has kept the ayatollah out of view and claims to be acting on his wishes. With the ayatollah reportedly incapacitated, it appears the IRGC’s leadership is calling the shots, which may explain why past negotiations have failed.
The written statement is likely little more than posturing from the Iranians, who are being hamstrung by the U.S. blockade of their ports and vessels. The regime is currently bleeding more than $400 million a day, as the Trump administration has signaled it will continue tightening its grip. Over the weekend, President Trump canceled negotiations with an Iranian delegation, accusing the regime of stalling, and said they can call when they are ready to be serious about talks.
The regime’s oil storage is currently nearing critical capacity, potentially forcing it to shut down wells, a move that risks permanently reducing production to a fraction of current levels. The president of the United States has opted to continue the blockade until the Iranians begin to see reason.
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
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