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As the West Asia conflict entered the thirteenth day, Iran's new Supreme Leader struck a tone of defiance in his first address to the Iranian people. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei called for the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, a move that will raise tensions.
"Dear fighter brothers! The desire of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defence. Furthermore, the leverage of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must certainly continue to be used," he said. Khamenei said that Iran had identified sites which he claimed were vulnerable for future strikes from the Islamis Republic. "Studies have been conducted regarding the opening of additional fronts in areas where the enemy has negligible experience and would be highly vulnerable, and their activation will be carried out if the state of war persists and in accordance with the observance of interests," he said. Iran's new Supreme leader vowed vengeance for the death of his father and others in the strikes. "I assure everyone that we will not forgo vengeance for the blood of your martyrs. The vengeance we have in mind is not limited to the martyrdom of the great leader of the Revolution; rather, every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy constitutes an independent subject in the file of vengeance," he said. Khamenei called on the Iranian people to continue their resistance to the strikes. "The effective presence on the scene must be maintained; whether in the manner you demonstrated in these days and nights of war, or in the form of various effective role-playings. I remind of the importance of presence in the Quds Day ceremonies of 1447, where the element of enemy-breaking must be taken into consideration by all," he said. He also called on neighbour in the Gulf to choose sides, alleging that the US claim of establishing security was a lie. "The countries of the region must clarify their stance regarding the aggressors against our dear homeland and the killers of our people. I recommend that they shut down those bases as soon as possible; for they must surely have realized by now that America's claim of establishing security and peace has been nothing but a lie," he said. "The enemy has gradually established bases in some neighbouring countries over the years. In the recent offensive, some of those military bases were put to use, which naturally we have targeted with attacks--precisely as we had issued explicit warnings, and without making any encroachment on those countries themselves--solely striking those bases," he added. In recent days, Iran has intensified its restrictions on the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz amid ongoing US-Israeli strikes. Iran says vessels not serving the interests of the United States and Israel can sail through safely. More than 20 million barrels of crude oil pass daily through the narrow channel separating the Iranian coast from Oman. That volume represents roughly a fifth of global oil consumption and nearly a quarter of all seaborne oil trade. A significant share of the world's liquefied natural gas also moves through the same passage. When that flow falters even briefly, the consequences cascade across financial markets, supply chains and household budgets around the world. (ANI)
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