Iran's new supreme leader says Strait of Hormuz should stay closed, vows revenge

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a defiant statement on Thursday vowing revenge for the deaths of Iranians in ongoing US-Israeli attacks, while expressing support for keeping the Strait of Hormuz – a vital maritime passage for oil shipments – closed as a pressure tool against Iran's adversaries.

In his first public remarks since succeeding his assassinated father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 56-year-old said Iran would attack all US military bases across the region. 

He also pledged to open new fronts in his country's conflict with the US and Israel. Studies are underway to open other battle fronts where the enemy is "vulnerable and inexperienced," he said, adding that these moves serve Iran's interests and would happen if the war continues.

The statement comes as the US-Israeli military campaign, launched on February 28, has intensified with sustained airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites, missile facilities, naval assets and command structures. Iran has carried out retaliatory strikes on Israeli territory and US assets across the Middle East.

His remarks echo the recent rhetoric of Iranian officials who have vowed relentless retaliation and warned of targeting any ships belonging to the US, Israel and their partners, even as US President Trump told reporters that the war is soon to be over and that Washington has already achieved major victories, with "practically nothing left" to target in Iran.

Israeli officials have repeatedly vowed to press ahead with the campaign, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the operation against Iran is "far from over."