Speaking on April 30, 2026, Khamenei said Iran would continue protecting its nuclear program as a national asset.
The remarks are expected to heighten tensions at a time when reports had emerged about possible negotiations between the United States and Iran, with one of the expected conditions being that Tehran abandons all activities related to nuclear weapons.
In a written statement broadcast on Iranian state television, Mojtaba Khamenei said the only place suitable for the United States was “underwater,” a remark interpreted as a demand for America to leave the Persian Gulf region entirely.
Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic global route for oil transportation.
Oil prices rose by 7%, surpassing $126 per barrel for the first time since 2022, when the Russia-Ukraine war began.
Despite Khamenei’s statements, Iran’s industries are also facing serious difficulties after the United States blocked ships carrying petroleum products to and from Iran.
He said, “With God’s help and power, the Persian Gulf will have a bright future without American involvement. It will become a prosperous region where its people can live peacefully and develop.”
Khamenei, who was seriously injured in Israeli strikes that killed his father, Ali Khamenei, on February 28, 2026, said countries in the Middle East must unite against what he described as a common enemy.
He stated, “We and our neighbors in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman share the same vision. Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometers away with harmful intentions and greed have no place here; their place is at the bottom of these waters.”
Although Iran insists its nuclear program is intended for peaceful development purposes, the United States maintains that it acted to prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
However, Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran would never abandon the nuclear program because it is a valuable national resource that must be fully utilized.
Khamenei added that the 90 million Iranians living both inside and outside the country take pride in Iran’s strength and achievements in culture, science, industry, technology, medicine, and nuclear energy, saying it would be impossible to give up such progress.
“We will protect it just as they protect their waters, land, and skies,” he said.
