Iran's New Supreme Leader Says Strait Of Hormuz Will Stay Closed, Warns US Bases In The Region Will Be Attacked If Not Shut: Report

• Khamenei added that Iran is willing to maintain warm relations with its neighbors, while urging these countries to clarify their positions regarding the aggressors.
• He stated that Iran will be compelled to continue attacking U.S. bases in the region without targeting the countries in question.
• Khamenei added that the countries in the region must have understood by now that the United States’ claim to have established peace and security was a lie.

Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly said on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.

According to an Al Jazeera report, Khamenei warned in a televised address that Iran will attack all U.S. bases in the region if they are not shut down.

He also called for national unity amid an intensifying war with the U.S. and Israel.

Willing To Have Warm Relations With Neighbors, Says Khamenei

Khamenei added that Iran is willing to maintain warm relations with its neighbors, while urging these countries to clarify their positions regarding the aggressors, referring to the U.S., which has bases across the Middle East, according to the letter posted by the Tasnim News Agency.

“I recommend they close those bases as soon as possible because they must have understood by now that the American claim of establishing security and peace was nothing but a lie,” he added.

Khamenei stated that Iran will be compelled to continue attacking U.S. bases in the region without targeting the countries in question.

Trump Says US Makes A ‘Lot Of Money’ When Prices Go Up

President Donald Trump stated earlier on Thursday that the U.S. makes a lot of money when the price of crude oil goes up.

“The United States is the largest Oil Producer in the World, by far, so when oil prices go up, we make a lot of money. BUT, of far greater interest and importance to me, as President, is stopping an evil Empire, Iran, from having Nuclear Weapons, and destroying the Middle East and, indeed, the World,” he said in a post on Truth Social, adding that he won’t let it happen.

U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures maturing in April were up more than 11% at nearly $97 a barrel. Brent crude futures expiring in May surged more than 10% to hover around $101 a barrel.

The United States Oil Fund ETF (USO) gained over 9%, while the ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF (UCO) was up about 8% at the time of writing.

Meanwhile, U.S. equities declined in Thursday’s opening trade. At the time of writing, the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 index, was down 1.32%; the Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (QQQ) fell 1.57%; and the SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF Trust (DIA) declined 1.5%. Retail sentiment on Stocktwits regarding the S&P 500 ETF was in the ‘bearish’ territory.

Also See: Iran Warns Aggression Toward Its Islands Will 'Shatter All Restraint' – Analysts Explain Why Oil Is Boiling Despite Record 400M Barrel Release

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