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In brief
- Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has reacted to new US missile strikes.
- The US confirmed the strikes on Tuesday, with missile sites and boats targeted.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, declared on Tuesday that countries in the region will no longer act as protective barriers for United States military bases. This statement was broadcasted via state television.
In his message commemorating the Eid al-Adha holiday, Khamenei emphasized, “The clock will not turn back, and the nations and territories of this region will cease to be shields for American military bases.” Notably, Khamenei has remained out of the public eye since assuming office in March.
Khamenei further asserted that the United States is steadily losing its foothold in the region. “The U.S. no longer has a safe haven here for aggression or establishing military bases, and they are increasingly distant from their previous standing with each passing day,” he stated.
His comments arise amidst ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States aimed at reaching a resolution to the conflict that erupted on February 28 and subsequently spread throughout the region.
Since April 8, a fragile ceasefire has been in effect.
Iran’s foreign ministry has said it had reached understandings with the US on many issues in exchanges over a deal for ending the war, but warned an agreement was not yet imminent.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they had downed a US drone and shot at other aircraft attempting to enter the country’s airspace, without specifying when the incidents took place.
In a statement, the Guards further warned “against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressor US military and considers its right to reciprocal response legitimate and certain.”
On Monday, the US Central Command said forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines, despite the ceasefire.
Iran has not officially confirmed the US attack but state media reported blasts in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas without specifying their source.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, succeeded his father Ali Khamenei who was killed in the opening US-Israel strikes of 28 February, triggering retaliatory attacks by Iran across the region.
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