Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has declared that the United States will be forced to abandon the Middle East after suffering "painful blows" from Iranian forces, according to state television. This hardline statement comes amid escalating tensions over control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, where Iran and the US have imposed competing blockades since the war began in February. The rhetoric is particularly significant as it signals the new leadership's uncompromising position at a moment when Qatar is attempting to broker peace talks between the two nations.

Khamenei assumed power in March following his father Ali Khamenei's death in US-Israeli airstrikes on 28 February, yet has remained invisible from public view, fuelling speculation about his health within Iranian government circles. The Strait of Hormuz is a critical shipping corridor that previously carried approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and gas supply before hostilities disrupted commerce. Despite the Supreme Leader's aggressive posturing, Iranian officials are actively engaged in negotiations with American representatives through Qatari mediators, with Tehran proposing a seven-day ceasefire plan that includes unfreezing Iranian assets, lifting US sanctions on Iranian oil, and ending the American port blockade.