Iran’s new Supreme Leader vows to keep up attacks; says Hormuz Strait to stay closed
The Hindu
Iran's new Supreme Leader vows to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed and continue attacks amid ongoing regional conflict.
Iran’s new supreme leader ordered the vital Strait of Hormuz oil shipping lane to remain closed on Thursday (March 12, 2026), while U.S. President Donald Trump said stopping the Islamic republic’s “evil empire” was more important than crude prices.
Also read: West Asia war updates on March 12, 2026
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was reportedly injured in an air strike, has yet to appear publicly since his nomination last Sunday as supreme leader, and his defiant message was read by a newsreader on state television.
Mr. Khamenei’s father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the first wave of U.S.-Israeli attacks at the start of the West Asia war. He called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain blocked and for Gulf countries to close their U.S. military bases.
The statement included a vow to avenge those killed in the war, including in a strike on a school that killed over 165 people.
The statement signalled a willingness to continue the war that has disrupted global energy supplies, international travel and the relative safety enjoyed by the Gulf Arab states, and which has also exacted a heavy toll on Iran's leadership, military and ballistic missile programme.
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