Iran’s new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, said the Strait of Hormuz will be “under new management” in an announcement on Thursday.
“The enemy will compensate us for every damage inflicted,” he continued. “We will in no way relinquish our rights, and in this regard we consider the entire Resistance Axis as a unified whole.”
The Iranian leader made the groundbreaking announcement in a written statement read out on state TV. It comes after reports that only a handful of vessels have been allowed to pass through the Strait since the ceasefire announcement. The operation of the essential waterway, which will inevitably alleviate pressure on the oil and gas industry, was a key point in the agreement.
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The statement also noted that Iran is waiting for an “appropriate reaction from our southern neighbors”- the Arab states along the Persian Gulf – so that Iran may “show you our brotherhood.”
The leader added that the country is determined to “take revenge” for his slain father, who was killed in one of the early U.S.-
Israeli strikes on February 28. Khamenei inherited the leadership role from
Israel has intensified strikes on Lebanon since the ceasefire was announced
In the days following the ceasefire announcement, it has become increasingly clear that the terms are proving difficult for both sides. Despite claims that Lebanon was to be included in protections against Israeli attacks, Israel has continued to launch missile strikes on the country, killing an estimated 300 people and injuring about a thousand more.
President Donald Trump told NBC News in an interview on Thursday that he asked Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be “a little more low-key” in operations in Lebanon as the U.S. seeks to negotiate an end to the war with Iran.
This Saturday, a U.S delegation is set to travel to Pakistan, where they will engage in negotiations mediated by the South Asian head.
