Mojtaba Khamenei Warns Regional Nations Will No Longer Shield U.S. Bases

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned that “the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for American bases” in a message timed to mark the beginning of the Hajj, a day after the U.S. military launched “defensive strikes” on southern Iran.

“United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said a potential deal to end the US-Israel war on Iran could “take a few days” as a series of attacks threatened an already-fragile ceasefire”

Al Jazeera

The Hill reported that U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins confirmed the strikes, saying “U.S. forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”

Al Jazeera

The same Hill article said the Iranian Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. of a “gross violation” of a temporary truce after the strike.

In parallel, Al Jazeera reported that Khamenei said regional countries would no longer be shields for U.S. bases in a written statement carried by state television on Tuesday, marking the Eid al-Adha holiday.

Al Jazeera also said the attacks threatened an already-fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April 8, while Rubio told reporters in Jaipur that a potential deal could “take a few days.”

U.S. Central Command spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins told NewsNation, The Hill’s broadcast partner that “Targets included missile launch sites and Iranian boats attempting to emplace mines,” framing the strikes as self-defense during the ongoing ceasefire.

Al Jazeera reported that Rubio said, “There were some talks going on in Qatar today,” and that language in the initial document would require time, adding that it would “take a few days” to make progress.

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The Hill said Tehran responded by accusing Washington of a “gross violation” of the temporary truce with this strike, and it quoted the Iranian leader saying the U.S. was “moving further away from its former status day by day.”

Al Jazeera reported that IRGC said it shot down an MQ-9 Reaper drone after identifying “hostile aircraft” entering Iranian airspace, and that it also fired upon an RQ-4 drone and an intruding F-35 jet.

SBS Australia similarly said Khamenei’s remarks were carried by state television and that the U.S. had confirmed the strikes on Tuesday with missile sites and boats targeted, as Iran and the United States continued exchanges aimed at reaching a deal to end the war that began on 28 February.

Al Jazeera reported that talks in Qatar involving Tehran and Washington focused on the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while an official briefed Reuters said Iran’s central bank governor attended to discuss the potential release of frozen Iranian funds as part of a final deal.

The Hill said President Trump claimed a deal with Iran was “largely negotiated,” and it described his stated aim to include a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to hostilities.

Iran International’s account in the provided material said the message attributed to Khamenei stated that “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” would remain the rallying cries of the Islamic world, particularly among young people.

In the same Iran International material, Abolfazl Shekarchi told Al Jazeera that “The response to any new aggression will be different from what it was before,” adding that Iran’s attacks would be “more severe, heavier and stronger” than in previous conflicts.

SBS Australia reported that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had downed a US drone and shot at other aircraft attempting to enter the country’s airspace, and it quoted the Guards warning “against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressor US military” while calling reciprocal response “legitimate and certain.”