Mojtaba Khamenei Vows to Protect Iran’s Nuclear and Missile Capabilities

Iran’s supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that the Islamic Republic will protect its “nuclear and missile capabilities” as a national asset, in remarks read in a written statement by a state television anchor.

The Associated Press reported that Khamenei maintained a defiant tone after taking over following the killing of his father in the war’s opening airstrikes, and that he said the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters.”

Al-Jazeera Net

The same AP account said Khamenei also declared that a “new chapter” was being written in the region’s history, while his remarks came as U.S. President Donald Trump presses for a wider deal to cement the war’s “shaky three-week ceasefire.”

The AP said Iran’s oil industry is being squeezed by a U.S. Navy blockade halting its oil tankers from getting out to sea, and it tied the pressure to Iran’s “chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz,” where the world economy is under strain.

The AP added that on Thursday the global benchmark for oil, Brent crude, traded as high as $126 a barrel, and it described that shock as putting pressure on Trump as he floats a plan to reopen the strait.

In parallel, Spectrum News 13 said Khamenei’s written remarks were read aloud on state television and that he insisted Americans belonged “at the bottom of its waters” while a “new chapter” was being written in the region’s history.

NBC News similarly reported that Khamenei vowed to protect “nuclear and missile capabilities” as national assets and framed the message as another signal that Tehran was not about to capitulate in the standoff affecting global energy prices.

Multiple outlets tied Khamenei’s statement to the continuing standoff over the Strait of Hormuz and the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

The Associated Press said that with a fragile ceasefire in place, the U.S. and Iran are “locked in a standoff over the strait,” and it described the U.S. blockade as designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil, depriving it of “crucial revenue.”

Associated Press

The AP also said the strait’s closure is a problem for the U.S.’s Gulf allies that use the waterway to export their oil and gas, and it described a recent Iranian proposal that would push negotiations on the country’s nuclear program to a later date.

NBC News reported that the price spike came as the U.S. military was set to brief President Donald Trump on plans for potential military action to help break the deadlock and reopen the trade route, citing an Axios report about a wave of “short and powerful” strikes.

NBC News also said the international benchmark for oil, Brent crude, rose to more than $126 a barrel at one point overnight before falling back to around $114 a barrel early Thursday, and it reported that U.S. gas prices rose to an average of $4.30 a gallon Thursday.

The WKTV/AP compilation similarly said world oil prices surged above $126 a barrel on Thursday and that the Trump administration was trying to persuade other nations to help reopen the strait.

Spectrum News 13 said the U.S. blockade is designed to prevent Iran from selling its oil and that the strait’s closure has put pressure on Trump as oil and gasoline prices have “skyrocketed” ahead of crucial midterm elections.

Alongside Khamenei’s written message, NBC News reported that a senior Revolutionary Guard commander vowed retaliation if the U.S. renews its assault, quoting Seyed Majid Mousavi’s warning that “With prolonged and wide-ranging painful strikes, we will, by the grace of God, respond to the enemy’s operations even if they are rapid and short.”

“Iran's supreme leader on Thursday vowed that the country will protect its "nuclear and missile capabilities" against "the Great Satan" -- the U”

Daily Express US

NBC News also quoted Mousavi saying, “We have seen the fate of your fragile bases in the region; we will also see your warships,” framing it as a response to U.S. planning for potential action.

The same NBC News report said Trump warned that Iran had “better get smart soon” as he weighed possible military options to reopen the strait, and it described the standoff as having sent energy prices soaring despite the ceasefire.

In the AP account, Khamenei’s remarks included the line that “Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometers away to act with greed and malice there have no place in it — except at the bottom of its waters,” and it said he referred to America as the “Great Satan.”

Daily Sabah similarly quoted Khamenei’s written statement that “Today, two months after the largest military deployment and aggression by the world's bullies in the region, and the United States' disgraceful defeat in its plans, a new chapter is unfolding for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz,” and it described the remarks as defiant.

Ynetnews reported that Khamenei’s statement threatened the United States and said “We will protect our nuclear, missiles — US belongs at bottom of Persian Gulf,” while it also described that Khamenei had not appeared in public and was being held in a secure location after injuries.

While Khamenei’s message hardened Iran’s public posture, the Associated Press described parallel diplomatic and policy efforts aimed at easing tensions and reopening the strait.

The AP said Pakistan on Thursday stated it was “still facilitating indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran aimed at easing tensions,” and it added that Islamabad would also welcome direct communication between the two sides, even by phone.

NBC News

The AP quoted Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tahir Andrabi saying, “If the two parties can engage in real-time conversations, that could ease the sticking points,” and it said he declined to share details of any Iranian or U.S. proposals.

The AP also described a plan floating in Washington under which the United States would continue its blockade on Iranian ports while coordinating with allies to impose higher costs on Iran’s attempts to subvert the free flow of energy, citing a senior administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

NBC News said President Donald Trump would be briefed Thursday on options for the way ahead in the Strait of Hormuz and on the ground in Iran, and it said CENTCOM Commander Admiral Brad Cooper would brief Trump and the president’s senior national security team at the White House.

NBC News further reported that Trump and other top administration officials met with a group of energy industry executives earlier this week to discuss key issues, including continuing the blockade “for months if needed,” according to a White House official.

The NBC report also said the options discussed included whether the U.S. military presence in the strait should change and whether the military should become more aggressive in conducting operations there.

The sources diverged not only on the tone of Iran’s posture but also on how the confrontation’s military dimension was described and what it meant for the next phase.

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Financial Times

NBC News reported that an Axios report said the U.S. military was set to brief Trump on plans for potential military action to help break the deadlock, including a wave of “short and powerful” strikes intended to force Iran back to the negotiating table.

Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal

In contrast, the Arabic-language report from صحيفة مكة الإلكترونية said U.S. Central Command announced “precise military strikes targeting underground Iranian military facilities deep inside Iranian territory,” describing the use of “high-precision guided munitions” and “bunker-busting bombs capable of penetrating layers of concrete and rock before detonation.”

That report framed the strikes as undermining Iran’s military capabilities, especially those related to missile storage and defensive infrastructure, and it said targeting underground facilities was a hallmark of the current phase.

The same report claimed that media reports noted the campaign had included “thousands of strikes in recent weeks,” and it said the pace of attacks had declined in recent periods due to direct targeting of military infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Associated Press focused on the political and economic pressure points around the strait, saying the world economy is under pressure as Iran maintains its chokehold, with Brent at $126 a barrel.

On the Iranian side, Daily Sabah and ynetnews both presented Khamenei’s rhetoric as defiant and tied it to his injuries and his written statements, with ynetnews saying he had not been seen in public and was awaiting a prosthetic leg and plastic surgery for burns to his face.