TEHRAN: Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Majtaba Khamenei, has said that the future of the Persian Gulf will be “brighter without the presence of the United States,” asserting that foreign forces have no place in the region.
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In a statement carried by Iranian state media, Khamenei said that recent developments in the region, following what he described as two months of conflict involving the United States and Israel, had opened a “new chapter” in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei:
By the power and might of God, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without America and in the service of the progress, comfort, and welfare of its peoples.We are “fellow destinies” with our neighbors in… pic.twitter.com/PKtbdrFkUv
— RusWar (@ruswar) April 30, 2026
The remarks were published by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on the occasion of National Persian Gulf Day, which commemorates the 1622 expulsion of Portuguese forces from the Strait of Hormuz.
Khamenei said the Strait of Hormuz has historically been a centre of geopolitical rivalry and “foreign ambitions,” adding that regional stability can only be achieved without external military presence.
He claimed that recent regional tensions had demonstrated the resilience and preparedness of Iranian forces, describing their actions as evidence of “steadfastness and courage” in the face of external pressure.
The Iranian leader further stated that the United States was responsible for instability in the Gulf due to its military bases and regional interventions. He argued that such installations had failed to provide security and instead contributed to insecurity in the region.
Khamenei also reiterated Iran’s commitment to maintaining its defence capabilities, including its nuclear and missile programmes, which he described as national assets. He said these capabilities would be protected “as carefully as Iran protects its borders, land, air, and water space.”
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The statement reflects Iran’s long-standing position opposing foreign military presence in the Gulf and comes amid heightened regional tensions and ongoing diplomatic friction with Western powers.