Iran's supreme leader issues chilling threat to 'foreigners who commit evil' in fresh warning to US
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since his father was killed in a US-Israeli airstrike, issued the chilling threat in a written statement on Thursday.In the statement, he said the only place for Americans occupying the Persian Gulf "is at the bottom of its waters", according to state TV.He added that his regime’s "new management" of the Strait of Hormuz would "bring calm and progress" and economic benefits to the world. “Foreigners who, from thousands of kilometres away, greedily sow mischief there have no place in it – except at the bottom of its waters,” he said. The Iranian leader added that his forces will “eliminate the enemy's abuses of the waterway", adding that his country has common interest with neighbouring nations but warned "foreigners who commit evil" are not welcome."A new chapter for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is being written," he said.Read more: Trump threatens to withdraw troops from Germany after Chancellor says US 'humiliated' by IranRead more: Iran offers to reopen Strait of Hormuz despite postponing US nuclear talks
Iran also said on Thursday that if Washington renewed attacks it would respond with "long and painful strikes" on US positions, complicating Washington's hopes for an international coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz.It comes as oil prices rocketed to their highest level since 2022 as reports suggest US President Donald Trump is preparing for an escalation of the Iran war with further military action.The cost of benchmark Brent crude soared past 126 US dollars (£94) a barrel at one stage, up nearly 7%, reaching a high not seen since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.Brent crude later stood at just over 121 dollars a barrel.The latest spike comes as hopes were dashed of a resolution to the war and the reopening of the crucial Strait of Hormuz shipping route because peace talks between the US and Iran are said to have broken down.It is reported that Mr Trump has rejected Iran’s proposals to reopen the strait and is preparing to launch a series of strikes on Iran, which would bring an end to a fragile ceasefire.It is thought Mr Trump is refusing to lift the US naval blockade of Iranian ports until he secures a nuclear deal with Tehran.Meanwhile, the US President faces a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date is most likely to pass without altering the course of a conflict that has lapsed into a standoff over shipping routes.However, experts say Trump is likely to either notify Congress that he plans a 30-day extension or disregard the deadline, with his administration arguing that a current ceasefire with Tehran marked an end to the conflict.Trump is scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for fresh military strikes on Iran to compel it to negotiate an end to the conflict, an official told Reuters.
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