Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, released his first speech, saying that the country will continue its attacks in the Gulf and keep the Strait of Hormuz closed, vowing to avenge “our martyrs” amid continued US-Israeli strikes on the country.
Khamenei, who is succeeding his father Ali Khamenei, also said that attacks on US bases in the region would continue and demanded that they be immediately closed.
The speech comes as Iran has struck oil tankers, ports, and energy infrastructure in the Gulf as Tehran continues to widen its targets following US-Israeli strikes on the country.
Overnight on Wednesday, Iran struck two oil tankers near Iraq, killing one, with Iraq’s General Company for Ports leading an operation to rescue 38 crew members.
It came hours after an Iranian drone struck Salalah port, sparking a huge blaze at an oil storage facility.
The continued strikes on regional oil facilities are pushing the price of oil close to $100 per barrel, with fears it could go even higher.
In Lebanon, Iran and Hezbollah launched their first coordinated attack against Israel since the war began, with Hezbollah launching 100 rockets and Israel launching a wave of attacks on Beirut and other cities, killing at least 64 people.
Israel also conducted a “wide-scale wave of strikes” on Tehran overnight with the suburbs and centre of the city coming under intense attack.
