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Khamenei threatens to send US fleet ‘to the bottom’ of the Persian Gulf

Iran’s elusive supreme leader issues written statement defending the country’s nuclear program and calling for removal of American forces from the Middle East.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei defended Tehran’s nuclear and missile programs and issued a sharp warning against the United States’ military presence in the Persian Gulf.

In a written message issued on Thursday, Khamenei said Iran would not relinquish what he described as core national capabilities, insisting they are essential to the country’s security and sovereignty.

“Ninety million proud and honorable Iranians inside and outside the country regard all of Iran’s identity-based, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial and technological capacities — from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities — as national assets, and will protect them just as they protect the country’s waters, land and airspace,” Khamenei wrote.

He also warned that foreign military forces in the Gulf face direct risk, declaring that the only future role of the United States in the Persian Gulf would be “at the bottom of its waters.”

The remarks come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Tehran following weeks of conflict and a fragile ceasefire, during which the United States has imposed a naval blockade targeting Iranian-linked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

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Khamenei’s statement reaffirmed Iran’s refusal to negotiate away its nuclear or missile programs. He described these capabilities as “national assets” that Iran would continue to protect, echoing similar messaging reported by international outlets.

The Iranian supreme leader also called for the removal of all American forces from the Middle East.

“The presence of American forces in the Persian Gulf is the main source of insecurity,” Khamenei said.

“By God’s help and power, the bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without America, one serving the progress, comfort and prosperity of its people,” Khamenei continued.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, but it has also resisted Western demands to halt uranium enrichment or dismantle its missile arsenal. The latest comments suggest Tehran is doubling down on that position despite ongoing diplomatic pressure from the United States.