Mojataba Khamenei declares dawn of new era for Hormuz with fresh maritime rules

In an effort to enhance the security of the persian Gulf region, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday announced the start of a “new chapter” for the Strait of Hormuz, saying Iran will introduce new rules to manage the strategic waterway in response to recent US and Israeli actions against the country.

“Iran intends to ensure the security of the Persian Gulf region and put an end to the enemy’s abuses through the practical ability to manage the Strait of Hormuz,” Khamenei said in his address.

In a message issued on National Persian Gulf Day, he said Iran seeks to ensure regional security and curb what he called external abuses through greater practical influence over the Strait of Hormuz. He also stated that the Persian Gulf region has a “bright future” without a US presence.

The remarks were made on Thursday (April 30), a day Iran marks annually in remembrance of its historical resistance along the southern coastline dating back to the 17th century.

Khamenei said the Persian Gulf is a “vital and defining feature of regional identity and civilization’, emphasising its importance as both a cultural link between nations and a key corridor for the global economy. He also described it as a long-standing target of foreign intervention and rivalry over centuries, as reported by the Iranian state media.

Ayatollah Khamenei described the Persian Gulf as an “irreplaceable blessing” for the Muslim nations of the region, noting that this body of water and the Strait of Hormuz have “shaped a part of our identity and civilization and, in addition to being a connecting point for nations, create a vital and unique route for the global economy.”



Referring to historical conflicts involving European powers in the region, including the Portuguese, Dutch, and British, the Supreme Leader framed Iran’s history as one of resistance against colonial influence in the Persian Gulf.

“This strategic asset has provoked the greed of many devils in past centuries, and the history of repeated aggressions by European and American foreigners, insecurities, damages, and numerous threats to the countries of the region are only a fraction of the ominous plots of the world’s arrogant powers against the inhabitants of the Persian Gulf region, the latest example of which was the recent thuggery of the Great Satan,” he added, referring to the US-Israeli aggression on Iran which began on February 28.

He said, the Iranian nation has made “the greatest sacrifices for the independence of the Persian Gulf and the confrontation with foreigners and aggressors; from the expulsion of the Portuguese and the liberation of the Strait of Hormuz to the struggle against Dutch colonialism and the epics of resistance against British colonialism, and so on,” Press TV reported.

According to his message, the Islamic Revolution marked a turning point in reducing external influence in the region. He added that recent months, following what he described as military aggression against Iran, have demonstrated increased vigilance by Iranian naval forces.

He further said that regional countries have witnessed displays of preparedness and activity by Iran’s naval forces and what he described as public resolve in opposing foreign dominance in the area.

“Today, two months after the largest military expedition and aggression by the world’s bullies in the region and America’s humiliating defeat in its plot, a new chapter for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is unfolding,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.

The Leader noted that nations of the region witnessed the “vigilance” of the Iranian naval forces in the past 60 days.

“The nations of the Persian Gulf region, who for many years had grown accustomed to the silence and submissiveness of their rulers in the face of bullies and aggressors, have witnessed with their own eyes over the past 60 days the beautiful manifestations of solidity, vigilance, and endeavor by the brave men of the naval forces of the Army and the IRGC, alongside the zeal and gallantry of the people and youth of the southern region of dear Iran, in rejecting foreign domination,” he wrote.