Tension is building in the Middle East after Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, warned that regional countries would no longer act as shields for American military bases.
The warning comes at a sensitive moment as Iran and the United States continue talks aimed at ending months of conflict across the region.
Although a ceasefire has remained in place since April 8, recent military activities and fresh threats have raised fears that the fragile peace may not last.
In a message released during the Eid al-Adha celebration, Khamenei declared that America’s influence in the region was weakening rapidly.
“What is certain in this regard is that the hands of time will not turn backwards, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for American bases,” Khamenei said.
The Iranian leader also claimed that the United States was gradually losing its former power in the Middle East.
He stated that America no longer enjoys secure military positions in the region as tensions continue to rise.
“He said the United States ‘in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day’.”
Meanwhile, negotiations between both countries are still ongoing despite the ceasefire agreement reached earlier this year.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry recently disclosed that both sides had reached understanding on several important issues connected to ending the conflict.
However, officials warned that a final agreement was still far away.
Furthermore, military activities have continued despite the ceasefire.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Tuesday that they shot down a United States drone and fired at other aircraft near Iranian airspace.
Although exact dates were not provided, the statement warned against any further military action from the US.
“In a statement, the Guards further warned ‘against any violation of the ceasefire by the aggressor US military and considers its right to reciprocal response legitimate and certain’.”
On Monday, the US Central Command confirmed that American forces carried out strikes on missile sites in southern Iran.
The operation also reportedly targeted boats suspected of laying naval mines.
Iran has not officially confirmed the attack. However, state media reported explosions in Bandar Abbas, a major southern port city.
Moreover, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s rise to power has continued attracting attention worldwide.
The 56-year-old leader succeeded his father, Ali Khamenei, after he was reportedly killed during the opening US-Israel strikes on February 28.
That attack reportedly triggered several retaliatory operations from Iran across the region.
