An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz was more important than “dozens of atomic bombs”, vowing to protect the vital waterway.
“This strategic passage is more important than dozens of atomic bombs, and the Islamic Republic of Iran will protect it,” Mohsen Rezaee was quoted by the ISNA news agency as saying. Western countries accuse Iran of seeking to create an atomic bomb, but Tehran has insisted its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes.
A conservative newspaper in Iran known for its provocative tone has published a list of people to be targeted as revenge for the killing of supreme leader Ali Khamenei, including the leaders of the US, Israel and European countries.
US-Israeli strikes killed the late ayatollah on February 28, the first day of the Middle East war, and his son and successor Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed revenge.
“Vengeance is the will of our nation and must inevitably be carried out,” Mojtaba said on Saturday in his first message since his father’s funeral this week. “These criminals, whose names appear on a list, will take to their graves the wish of a peaceful death in their beds.”
The Hamshahri newspaper, which is published by authorities in the Iranian capital, released an infographic online late Saturday featuring photos of 13 foreign leaders alongside Mojtaba’s statement.
The infographic includes US President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, among others.
Also on the list are US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Meanwhile, the Omani government lambasted an attack on its territory, state media announces, with Iran’s Guards saying they targeted it during a barrage aimed at countries across the Gulf.
The Oman News Agency says on X that “the Sultanate of Oman affirms its condemnation and denunciation of this attack,” which came just hours after the country hosted Iran’s foreign minister to address security issues in the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier, Iran announced it was again closing the Strait of Hormuz and hit Gulf neighbors in retaliation for US strikes, further undermining efforts to salvage Middle East peace efforts. (AFP)
