Hawzah News Agency- Ayatollah Seyyed Mujtaba Khamenei, Leader of the Islamic Revolution and Commander-in-Chief of Iran's Armed Forces, has issued a stern warning to foreign military forces operating in the Persian Gulf, declaring that those who seek to create chaos and instability in the strategic waterway have no place there "except at the bottom of its waters."
The message, posted on the Leader's official media platforms to mark National Persian Gulf Day on April 30, 2026, delivers an unambiguous rebuke to extra-regional powers whose military presence has long been a source of tension in one of the world's most critical energy corridors.
"Foreigners who, from thousands of kilometers away, greedily engage in mischief and malevolence in the Persian Gulf have no place in it — except in the depths of its waters," the Commander-in-Chief stated in the message.
The remarks come as the Islamic Republic continues to assert its doctrine that regional security must be ensured exclusively by regional nations, free from the interference of outside powers. Iran has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of U.S. and other extra-regional forces from the Persian Gulf, arguing that their presence fuels instability, militarization, and economic disruption in the vital waterway.
Historical Significance
National Persian Gulf Day commemorates the anniversary of the expulsion of Portuguese colonial forces from the strategic Strait of Hormuz in 1622, a historic victory that restored Iranian sovereignty over the southern waters. The occasion serves as an annual reminder of Iran's enduring role as the principal guardian of the Persian Gulf and its rejection of foreign domination.
The Leader's message reinforces Iran's long-standing position that the Persian Gulf belongs to its littoral states and that the security architecture of the region must be built on cooperation among neighbors, not on the deployment of foreign fleets and military bases.
Regional Tensions and Foreign Presence
The Persian Gulf has been a flashpoint for confrontations between Iranian forces and foreign militaries, with the United States maintaining a significant naval presence in the region under the pretext of ensuring freedom of navigation. Iran has dismissed such claims as pretexts for projecting power and protecting the illegitimate Zionist entity's interests.
Tehran has consistently emphasized that it views the presence of American aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and forward-deployed troops as the primary source of insecurity in the Gulf, warning that any act of aggression against Iranian territory or interests would be met with a decisive and crushing response.
Iran's Defensive Doctrine
The Commander-in-Chief's remarks underscore Iran's military doctrine, which holds that the Islamic Republic poses no threat to regional nations but will defend its territorial integrity and national interests with full force against any foreign aggression. Iranian naval forces routinely conduct patrols and exercises in the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Sea of Oman, demonstrating the country's capability to secure the strategic waterway.
The message also reflects Iran's broader geopolitical vision: the expulsion of all extra-regional forces from West Asia, the eradication of the Zionist entity as a destabilizing factor, and the establishment of a regional security framework led by the nations of the region themselves.
A Warning to Adventurism
Political observers note that the Leader's message serves as a clear warning to any foreign power contemplating military adventurism in the Persian Gulf. With Iran's naval capabilities — including its fleet of fast-attack craft, coastal missile batteries, unmanned aerial vehicles, and anti-ship cruise missiles — the Islamic Republic has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to control the strategic chokepoint through which a significant portion of the world's oil supplies transit.
The statement comes amid ongoing efforts by the United States to reinforce its military footprint in the region, a move Tehran views as part of a broader campaign to intimidate the Resistance Front and maintain Western hegemony over the world's energy resources.
As the Islamic Republic marks National Persian Gulf Day, the message from the Commander-in-Chief leaves no room for ambiguity: the era of foreign domination of the Persian Gulf is over, and those who test Iran's resolve will find only defeat awaiting them.
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