Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei on Monday warned that foreign forces would soon be pushed out of the Arabian Sea, while asserting that Iran’s armed forces and people remained prepared to confront the country’s adversaries.In a written message published by Iranian media, Khamenei said enemy forces had been driven back from waters off southern Iran and warned they would not be able to maintain their presence in the Arabian Sea.“Some see us as the fourth superpower in the world. Today, the enemy’s forces do not dare to venture beyond the Arabian Sea. Soon the day will come when the Arabian Sea will be purged of their presence. Our people fill the squares and streets across the country with their responsible presence,” he said.The message was issued on the occasion of Iran’s “Sacred Defense Week” and the anniversary of the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah. It comes amid heightened tensions between Tehran and Washington over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s nuclear programme, after US President Donald Trump rejected an Iranian proposal linked to reopening the strategic waterway.Khamenei said different sections of Iranian society, despite their apparent differences, were united in supporting the country’s position, including its claim over the Strait of Hormuz.“Presently, throughout Islamic Iran—adorned by the presence of diverse ethnicities—various declarations of readiness, particularly armed readiness, exist to construct an arena that will bring renown to them and disgrace to their enemy,” he said.He also claimed that Iranian forces had inflicted losses on their adversaries in the waters around the country.“The two southern seas of Iran were the roaming grounds of enemy forces. Today, however, due to the painful blows they have received from the brave warriors and guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they do not advance past the Arabian Sea. Whenever they have braved this danger, they have brought harm upon themselves—and soon, the Arabian Sea too will be cleared of them,” he said.Khamenei further said that sections of Iranian society were standing together to protect what he described as their “rightful positions”.“There were days when the enemy constantly tried to weaken the social backbone of the system, but nowadays, various strata of society, despite their apparent differences, stand firm on maintaining their rightful positions, including the preservation of the blessed Strait of Hormuz,” he said.Khamenei’s remarks came after Washington rejected Tehran’s proposal linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Last week, on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi outlined a seven-day proposal under which Iran would reopen the waterway if certain conditions were met by the US.Iran said the proposal was conveyed through intermediaries and linked the reopening to steps including easing US military pressure.On Sunday, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said Trump had rejected the proposal because Tehran had sought sanctions relief and access to “billions in frozen assets” before entering negotiations on its nuclear programme.Waltz said Washington would ultimately need to reach “some type of agreement” with Iran, but added that Trump would keep all “options on the table”.Araghchi disputed Waltz’s account, saying the US ambassador had not seen the proposal. He also said Iran remained open to diplomacy but was prepared for renewed hostilities.“We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war. We don’t care about U.S. midterm elections. We care about our national interests. At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose,” Araghchi said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press”.In his message, Khamenei also referred to Iran’s past confrontation with foreign powers, accusing them of attempting to weaken the country’s social and political foundations.“There were days when the hegemonists, through psychological operations and creating an atmosphere of intimidation, emptied the streets of the capital and launched a coup against this nation’s quest for independence, subsequently plundering the wealth of this country for 25 years,” he said.He said Iranians had demonstrated their support for the country’s defence efforts over the past seven months.“Yet, for the past seven months, our compatriots across the nation have adorned the squares and streets with their responsible and enthusiastic presence to warm the hearts of the warriors of Islam and cast terror into the enemy’s heart,” he said.Khamenei also referred to the participation of women in what he described as acts of courage, while asserting that Iran’s past circumstances would not return.“This comparison between the past days and the present days can be expanded further, but in short, as a servant of the dear people of Iran, I declare that those former days—which our enemy dreams of returning to—are gone and will never recur,” he said.Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah’s main headquarters in Beirut’s southern suburbs on September 28, 2024. The Israel Defence Forces confirmed his death at the time, saying, “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world.”