1 of 2 | Iranians gather on Revolution Street in Tehran to show support for Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on Monday. Photo by Hossein Esmaeili/UPI | License Photo
March 12 (UPI) -- Mojtaba Khamenei shared his first message since being named Iran's new supreme leader Thursday, saying in a statement that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.
Khamenei said the strait must remain closed as a tactic to pressure Iran's enemies, in a statement read on Iran's state television. He added that attacks on U.S. military bases in the Middle East will continue.
Khamenei ascended to the position of supreme leader after his father, Ali Khamenei, was killed in the first round of U.S. military strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Mojtaba Khamenei was also wounded in the bombings.
The oil industry has watched the Strait of Hormuz closely since the beginning of the war. Oil prices have continued to fluctuate in response to statements from U.S. officials and news of Iranian attacks on the strait.
