Tehran, April 30 — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that Tehran will guarantee security in the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and move to end what he described as hostile abuses of the waterway, amid continuing tensions with the United States.
Speaking in a message aired by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) for Persian Gulf Day, Khamenei highlighted the Persian Gulf’s geopolitical and economic importance, calling it a “divine blessing” that shaped regional identity and serves as a critical route for global trade through the Strait of Hormuz and the Sea of Oman.
He argued that foreign military presence — particularly from Western powers and the United States — has historically produced insecurity and conflict in the region, and recent events have demonstrated that external actors cannot guarantee Gulf stability. Khamenei said Iran is determined to take the lead in protecting maritime routes and ensuring security there.
Framing the Islamic Revolution as a turning point, he traced resistance to foreign influence from earlier Portuguese and Dutch incursions to later British and American involvement, asserting the revolution severed the “hands of the arrogant powers” from the Persian Gulf. Referring to recent confrontations, he said that, following what he called a major military campaign and the failure of U.S. plans, a new chapter is opening for the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.
Khamenei thanked those who entrusted Iran with responsibility for managing the Strait and pledged that Tehran will secure the Persian Gulf and remove hostile abuses of the waterway. He said a legal framework and new management measures will bring comfort and progress to regional nations and deliver economic benefits, “even if the infidels hate it.”
Persian Gulf Day, observed in Iran each April 30, commemorates the 1622 expulsion of Portuguese colonial forces from Hormuz Island. The anniversary is used to reaffirm national sovereignty over the Gulf and its strategic channels. Press TV recalled that Shah Abbas I led forces that defeated the Portuguese at Hormuz, ending decades of conflict and nearly a century of foreign control over parts of the Persian Gulf.
This report is based on a syndicated feed and is published as received; the publisher assumes no responsibility for its accuracy or completeness.
