Son of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba Khamenei, attends a demonstration to mark Jerusalem day in Tehran.
Morteza Nikoubazl | Nurphoto | Getty Images
Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has said all U.S. military bases in the Middle East should close immediately as those bases will be attacked, in his first public statement since being appointed.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz maritime passage should be continued as a “tool to pressure the enemy,” he said, in televised comments translated by Reuters. Oil prices extended gains following the comments.
It’s Khamenei’s first public comments since being appointed as Iran’s supreme leader on March 9 after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in U.S.-Israeli air strikes which began in late February.
Mojtaba Khamenei was injured in the attack on his father’s compound, which killed the ayatollah and other immediate members of the family.
“Iran will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs,” Khamenei said, calling for unity among the Iranian people.
— This is a breaking news story, please check for further updates.