Ayatollah Seyed Moztaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, issued a hardline statement on April 18 (local time), marking Iran’s Armed Forces Day, saying the country’s “brave navy” is prepared to deal the enemy a fresh, bitter defeat. In a written statement, Moztaba said Iran’s drones would strike the United States and the “Zionist criminals” (a reference to Israel) “like lightning.”
Iran’s Armed Forces Day was established after the 1979 Islamic Revolution by the movement’s first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini. Each year, Tehran holds a large military parade in front of the Khomeini Mausoleum, while naval reviews take place in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. This year, the supreme leader’s written message carried added weight.
Analysts say his decision to single out the navy rather than the army or air force likely reflects recent tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
The day before, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Iran would temporarily lift its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. In response, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Iran had accepted U.S. conditions, and Iran’s military immediately countered, saying it would again control passage through the strait so long as the U.S. maintained a maritime blockade.
Amid discussion of a possible second round of negotiations with the United States, observers say the supreme leader sought to reinforce the military’s posture so the foreign minister’s announcement would not be perceived as a unilateral concession.
In his statement, Moztaba described the old Pahlavi dynasty as a “corrupt, oppressive regime,” and argued that the Islamic Revolution represented a turning point for Iran’s armed forces—ending a period of weakness and returning the military to the people. He praised the armed forces for crafting a narrative against the United States, remnants of the Pahlavi regime and separatists, and said that, as in the two previous wars imposed on Iran, the military now defends the nation’s territory and flag with strong divine and popular support.
Since his election on the 9th of last month to succeed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Moztaba has not released any audio or video messages. This statement, like others, was published in writing through his office’s Telegram channel and Iran’s state media.
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