Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has declared that Gulf powers will no longer serve as a shield for American military bases, asserting that the United States will lose its safe haven in the region. In a statement on his Telegram channel, Khamenei said, 'The hands of time will not turn back. The nations and lands of the region will no longer act as shields for US bases. Not only will America lack a safe haven for its mischief and military bases in the region, but its former status is fading day by day.'
Context of the Statement
The remarks come as Tehran and Washington engage in discussions to end their three-month-old conflict. Khamenei, who assumed leadership in March following the death of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in US-Israel airstrikes, has not yet appeared in public.
Hajj Pilgrimage Message
The message, published by Iranian media as part of Khamenei's comments marking the Hajj pilgrimage, emphasized that the slogans 'Death to America' and 'Death to Israel' would remain rallying cries for the Islamic world, particularly among the youth. It highlighted that the United States and Israel have been targeted via missile and drone capabilities across land, sea, and air. The statement stressed that regional nations will no longer act as a shield for US military presence, adding, 'The region will not return to past conditions, and Washington will no longer have a safe place to station military bases in the region.'
Vision for a New Order
Khamenei noted that countries in the region share capacities and interests that could help shape 'a new order in the region and the world.' The statement was released despite no image or audio recording of Mojtaba Khamenei having emerged since the war began in February.
