Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday criticised the United States, referring to it as the “Great Satan” and signalling no compromise on Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.In a written statement read on state television, Khamenei said Iran’s strategic programmes remain non-negotiable and central to national sovereignty. He also said Americans had no place in the Persian Gulf region.“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 kilometres away to act with greed and malice there have no place in it — except at the bottom of its waters,” he said, as quoted by Associated Press.He further described Iran’s technological and military capabilities as national assets that would be protected by the population. “Ninety million proud and honourable 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 said.The remarks come amid heightened tensions in West Asia, with Iran’s oil sector reportedly under strain due to restrictions affecting tanker movement. The disruption has coincided with volatility in global oil prices, with Brent crude previously touching $126 per barrel.The Strait of Hormuz, through which nearly a fifth of global oil and gas flows, remains central to the standoff. Iran’s strategic position over the waterway has added volatility to energy markets and increased pressure on the United States as it weighs its response.With a fragile ceasefire still in place, the US and Iran remain locked in disputes over sanctions, nuclear negotiations and maritime control. Tehran has also floated proposals to delay talks on its nuclear programme, while Washington maintains its objective is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful but has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels.Khamenei also linked Iran’s regional posture to broader geopolitical change, saying the future of the Persian Gulf should be shaped by regional powers rather than external actors.He suggested Iran would continue asserting its position on the Strait of Hormuz and called for what he described as a “new management” framework for the waterway. Gulf Arab states and much of the international community view the strait as an international passage critical to global trade.
