Iran’s new Supreme Leader used a major address on the 40-day anniversary of his father’s death to declare a strategic victory over US-led pressure, and to lay out plans to reshape regional power with Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei:
➤ 1. Declared a unified “Resistance Front,”
“We have not sought war and do not seek it — but we will in no way relinquish our rightful rights, and in this regard we consider the entire Resistance Front as a unified whole.”
He describes Iran and its regional allies, including Lebanon, as a single bloc, decisions will be made - and pressure will be met - collectively.
➤ 2. Claimed a victory and framed it as defeat of Western pressure system
“Today… it can be said that you, the heroic Iranian nation, are the definitive victors. The emergence of the Islamic Republic as a major power and the decline of global arrogance are now visible to all,” he said, portraying the war as proof that years of U.S.-led sanctions, isolation, and military pressure failed to break Iran—and instead accelerated its rise.
➤ 3. Positioned Hormuz as Iran’s counter to sanctions regime
“We will certainly bring the management of the Strait of Hormuz into a new phase,” he said—directly tying Iran’s control over a global oil chokepoint to the same Western sanctions system that has targeted its economy for years. The implication is clear: Iran now holds leverage over the very countries that sought to isolate it.
➤ 4. Called for full reparations and punishment of attackers
“We will certainly demand full reparations for all damages caused, as well as blood money for the martyrs and compensation for the war’s wounded.”
”All must know that, by Almighty God’s will, we definitely won’t allow the criminal aggressors who attacked our country to go unpunished.”
➤ 5. Direct warning to Gulf states aligned with the West
“I say to Iran’s southern neighbors: you are witnessing a miracle. So observe closely, understand matters correctly, stand on the right side, and be distrustful of the false promises of the devils.”
“We’re still waiting for an appropriate response from you, our southern neighbors, so that we may demonstrate our brotherhood and goodwill to you. This will not be realized unless you renounce the Arrogant Powers, who miss no opportunity to humiliate and exploit you.”
➤ 6. Called public mobilization Iran’s weapon
“Your cries in the streets are effective in the outcome of negotiations,” he said.
“What is now essential is the continued presence of the people, just as in the past forty days. This presence is a pillar of Iran’s current strength. Even if negotiations begin, public presence must not diminish. The voices of the people influence negotiations.”
➤ 7. Final Message:
Iran’s leadership is not treating this as the end of a war, but as the beginning of a new phase. Recommendations to the nation:
First, people must support one another amid wartime shortages.
Second, be cautious of enemy-aligned media; either avoid them or treat them with deep suspicion.
Third, though official mourning may end, the determination for justice and revenge for the martyrs must remain alive.
