ISLAMABAD: Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that US military bases across the Middle East could be targeted if they are used to launch attacks against Iran, in his first public message since assuming power during the ongoing conflict with the United States and Israel.
The written statement, broadcast on Iranian state television and read by a presenter while a still image of Khamenei appeared on screen, comes nearly two weeks after the war began following US-Israeli strikes on Iran that killed his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei.
In the message, the new Iranian leader said Tehran had already targeted military installations used in attacks against the country and warned that further strikes could follow.
“In the recent attack some military bases were used,” Khamenei said in the statement. “As we had clearly warned, and without attacking those countries themselves, we targeted only those bases.”
“From now on we will be forced to continue doing this,” he added.
Khamenei also urged governments across the region to reconsider hosting foreign forces.
“These countries must determine their position toward those who have attacked our homeland and killed our people,” he said. “I recommend they close those bases as soon as possible.”
The message marks Khamenei’s first official statement since becoming Iran’s third supreme leader after the death of his father during the opening wave of strikes that triggered the widening regional war.
Although the statement addressed the nation and regional governments, it was not delivered in person and Iranian authorities have not released video or audio of the new leader, leaving questions about his whereabouts and condition following the strikes that killed the previous leadership.
In the written message, Khamenei praised Iran’s armed forces and called for continued resistance against what he described as aggression by the United States and Israel.
“The demand of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defense,” he said.
He also signaled that Iran would continue to use strategic pressure points in the conflict, including the possibility of closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy shipping route.
“Certainly the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used,” he wrote.
Khamenei added that Iranian officials were studying the possibility of expanding the conflict into additional fronts if the war continued.
“Studies have been conducted regarding the opening of other fronts in which the enemy has little experience and is highly vulnerable,” he said. “Activating them will take place if the state of war continues and if it serves our interests.”
The statement also vowed continued retaliation for Iranian casualties during the war.
“We will not ignore revenge for the blood of your martyrs,” Khamenei said. “Every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy becomes an independent case for revenge.”
The conflict has rapidly widened across the region since the initial strikes on Iran, with missile attacks, drone operations and clashes involving allied groups spreading across multiple fronts and raising fears of a broader Middle East war.
