Jakarta, Indonesia - Iran's new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, delivered a public message for the first time after officially replacing his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an attack by the United States and Israel at the start of the major war that has now dragged down most of the Middle East.
This statement was read by a news presenter on Press TV on Thursday (12/3/2026) local time. In the message, Mojtaba Khamenei called for Iranian national unity and emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed as a form of pressure on Tehran's enemies.
In this statement, Khamenei also issued a direct threat to the US military presence in the region. He said all US military bases in the region must be closed immediately, or risk becoming targets of attack.
"All US bases in the region must be closed immediately or they will be attacked," Khamenei said in his statement, reported by Al Jazeera.
Although he emphasized that Iran remains confident in friendly relations with its neighboring countries, he emphasized that attacks on US military installations will continue.
Khamenei also said that armed groups in the region would be involved in efforts to counter pressure on Iran. According to him, armed groups in Yemen will play an important role in the conflict.
Armed groups in Iraq are also said to be ready to help.
In his statement, Khamenei also expressed his appreciation for the Iranian military, which he said had succeeded in keeping the country intact amidst attacks coming from outside.
He said Iran's military had prevented the country from being dominated or divided in the face of military pressure.
"I want to thank the brave warriors who did great work at a time when our country was under pressure and under attack," Khamenei said.
He also emphasized that Iran would continue its resistance.
His father, Ali Khamenei, who led Iran for 37 years, was killed in Tehran on February 28 in a series of attacks carried out by the US and Israel in the early stages of the war which is now spreading across the Middle East.
Several members of Khamenei's family were also reportedly killed in the attack.
Following the supreme leader's death, the Expert Council on Sunday reached a consensus to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei as his successor.
Middle East analyst Zeidon Alkinani believes that the focus of Khamenei's speech on armed resistance left many domestic issues untouched.
According to him, this approach allows the supreme leader to avoid discussing fundamental issues that are very important for Iranian society.
"The focus on armed resistance allows the supreme leader to avoid discussing economic reform, state-building and many other fundamental issues that are important to the Iranian people,"
Alkinani told Al Jazeera. He also considered that the contents of the statement contradicted the statement by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian,
who the day before stated that Iran could consider ending the war if certain conditions were met.
Apart from that, Alkinani highlighted that the message was not conveyed directly by Mojtaba Khamenei himself, but was read by a television announcer.
This, he said, did little to quell rumors circulating that the new supreme leader may have been injured or even killed in the ongoing war with the United States and Israel.
"This creates a lot of uncertainty about the supreme leader's legitimacy and ability to remain strong in the face of major challenges,"
Alkinani said. Khamenei's harsh statements are also not expected to be well received by US President Donald Trump. Trump has stressed in recent days that Iran will follow Venezuela's path by choosing a leader willing to meet Washington's demands.
Meanwhile, lecturer on international security at King's College London, Rob Geist Pinfold, believes that Mojtaba Khamenei's first statement shows that Iran has not changed its basic position.
"Instead of what the Trump administration might have hoped for, some sort of change in rhetoric from the new top leader, what we're actually hearing here is more of the same," Pinfold said.
Even though it received criticism from a number of analysts, some groups in Iran actually welcomed the message conveyed by Khamenei positively.
Zohreh Kharazmi, an academic at the University of Tehran, said many Iranians appreciated the firm stance amid threats from the US. According to him, the message was seen as a bold gesture from Iran's new leader.
"Sustainable security is the most basic right of a nation," said Kharazmi. "Khamenei expressed a very legitimate position that is supported by millions of Iranians here."
Sc: CNBC INDONESIA