Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has declared that countries in the Gulf region will no longer serve as protective buffers for American military bases, as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain unresolved despite ongoing diplomatic contacts.
In a written Eid al-Adha message carried by Iranian state television on Tuesday, Khamenei said the regional balance was shifting and that the United States could no longer rely on the same level of military security it once enjoyed in the Middle East.
“What is certain in this regard is that the hands of time will not turn backwards, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for American bases,” Khamenei stated.
The Iranian leader, who has not made a public appearance since assuming office in March, further argued that Washington was steadily losing influence across the region.
He said the United States, “in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day.”
Khamenei’s comments come against the backdrop of continuing diplomatic efforts between Iran and the United States to secure an agreement that could formally end the regional conflict that erupted on February 28.
Although a ceasefire has largely held since April 8, the situation remains fragile.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry recently said negotiators from both sides had reached understandings on several issues but cautioned that a final agreement was still not within immediate reach.
On Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed they shot down a US drone and fired at other aircraft attempting to enter Iranian airspace, though the statement did not specify when the incidents occurred.
The Guards warned that any breach of the ceasefire by US forces would trigger a response.
In a statement, the military body said it warned “against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressor US military and considers its right to reciprocal response legitimate and certain.”
The warning followed reports of renewed American military action.
On Monday, the US Central Command said its forces struck missile launch sites in southern Iran and targeted boats allegedly attempting to lay mines, describing the operation as a defensive action despite the ceasefire.
Iran has not officially acknowledged the US strikes.
However, state media reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas without identifying their source.
The conflict has dramatically reshaped Iran’s leadership landscape.
Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, after the longtime supreme leader was killed during the opening US-Israel strikes on February 28, attacks that sparked retaliatory military action by Tehran across the region.
His latest remarks underline Tehran’s increasingly defiant posture as negotiations continue alongside persistent military tensions.
