Iran's Mojtaba warns US forces will be purged from Arabian Sea as deadlock deepens

Days after US President Donald Trump rejected a fresh truce proposal from Iran, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei warned that foreign military forces would soon be pushed out of the Arabian Sea, claiming Iranian forces had already forced adversaries to retreat from waters near the country's southern coast.

In a written statement released by Iranian media on Monday, Khamenei said Iran's armed forces remained prepared for confrontation, while portraying the Strait of Hormuz as a key point of national resistance.

"Some see us as the fourth superpower in the world. Today, the enemy's forces do not dare to venture beyond the Arabian Sea. Soon the day will come when the Arabian Sea will be purged of their presence. Our people fill the squares and streets across the country with their responsible presence," he said.

The remarks came as tensions between Tehran and Washington remain high over the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear programme. They also followed the US rejection of an Iranian proposal linked to reopening the strategic waterway.

Khamenei claimed Iranian forces had inflicted significant losses on their adversaries in waters around the country, saying foreign forces had previously operated across Iran's southern seas but had since been pushed back.

"The two southern seas of Iran were the roaming grounds of enemy forces. Today, however, due to the painful blows they have received from the brave warriors and guardians of the Strait of Hormuz, they do not advance past the Arabian Sea. Whenever they have braved this danger, they have brought harm upon themselves -- and soon, the Arabian Sea too will be cleared of them," he said.

Seeking to project domestic unity, Khamenei said Iranians from different ethnic and social backgrounds were standing behind the country's position on the strait.

"There were days when the enemy constantly tried to weaken the social backbone of the system, but nowadays, various strata of society, despite their apparent differences, stand firm on maintaining their rightful positions, including the preservation of the blessed Strait of Hormuz," he said.IRAN-US STANDOFF OVER HORMUZ

His message came days after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi presented a proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz through intermediaries during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. Under the seven-day proposal, Iran said it would reopen the waterway if the United States took certain steps, including easing military pressure.

Washington rejected the proposal. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said President Donald Trump had turned it down because Tehran had sought sanctions relief and access to "billions in frozen assets" before entering negotiations over its nuclear programme.

Waltz nevertheless said Washington would eventually need to reach "some type of agreement" with Tehran while keeping all "options on the table".

Araghchi disputed that account, saying Waltz had not seen the Iranian proposal.

Speaking to NBC's Meet the Press, Araghchi said Iran was prepared for another escalation but had not abandoned diplomacy.

"We are fully prepared for the war to be resumed. We stand firm in the face of any new aggression, even if it comes to a doomsday war. We don't care about U.S. midterm elections. We care about our national interests. At the same time, we stand ready for diplomacy. It is up to President Trump to choose," he said.KHAMENEI POINTS TO IRAN'S PAST

Khamenei's message was issued for Iran's Sacred Defence Week, which commemorates the country's eight-year war with Iraq, and the anniversary of the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah.

Much of his statement drew a direct line between Iran's present confrontation with foreign powers and its experience during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. Khamenei accused Western powers of trying to undermine Iran's independence and said the Islamic Republic had emerged stronger from the conflict.

Taking aim at the US, he also invoked the 1953 coup against Iran's government, saying foreign powers had once used psychological pressure and intimidation before "plundering the wealth of this country for 25 years".

Following the anti-regime protests that have challenged the government in recent years, he contrasted that period with what he described as widespread public support for Iran's current defence efforts, saying Iranians had rallied behind the country despite their differences.

"Yet, for the past seven months, our compatriots across the nation have adorned the squares and streets with their responsible and enthusiastic presence to warm the hearts of the warriors of Islam and cast terror into the enemy's heart," he said.

Khamenei claimed that more than 30 million Iranians had declared their willingness to sacrifice their lives and said more than 500,000 people filled a requested capacity within 100 minutes during a subsequent mobilisation effort.KHAMENEI PAYS TRIBUTE TO NASRALLAH

Khamenei's statement also devoted considerable attention to Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Hezbollah's headquarters in Beirut on September 28, 2024. Israel confirmed his death at the time.

Calling Nasrallah a major symbol of the regional "Resistance Front", Khamenei praised his leadership of Hezbollah and his influence in Lebanon and beyond. He said Nasrallah's legacy was now being carried by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.

Khamenei also portrayed the current situation in Lebanon as part of a broader confrontation between Iran-aligned resistance groups and Israel, while criticising countries and powers that he said relied on Western support.

The latest message therefore carries significance beyond its rhetoric. With the nuclear dispute unresolved, tensions over the Strait of Hormuz continuing and conflicts still raging across the Middle East, the risk of further escalation remains a central concern for the region and the wider world.- Ends