Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that the United States has no place in the Persian Gulf except at the bottom of its waters.

The statement escalates tensions in a region already destabilized by an active conflict between Iran, the U.S., and Israel. Because the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz are critical corridors for global energy supplies, threats to maritime security can trigger immediate international economic volatility.

Khamenei issued the defiant message amid a war that broke out on Feb. 28, 2026 [1]. He pledged to secure the Gulf and eliminate what he described as the enemy's abuses of the waterway.

"The United States's only place in the Persian Gulf region is at the bottom of its waters," Khamenei said.

Reports regarding the delivery of the message vary. Some sources said the leader personally issued the warning, while other reports suggest he is severely injured and communicating through top security officials. This discrepancy follows a period of high tension since the start of the conflict in February.

Khamenei also said, "No place for outsiders in Persian Gulf but depths of its waters." He further vowed that Iran would secure the region to protect its strategic interests.

"We will secure the Gulf and eliminate the enemy's abuses of the waterway," Khamenei said.

The rhetoric targets U.S. naval presence in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint where the majority of the world's liquefied natural gas and significant oil volumes pass daily. The Iranian leadership has signaled a commitment to removing foreign influence from these waters by any means necessary.

“"The United States's only place in the Persian Gulf region is at the bottom of its waters."”

This rhetoric signals a shift toward more aggressive maritime posturing by the new Iranian leadership. By specifically targeting the U.S. presence in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, Iran is leveraging its geographic advantage to pressure the U.S. and Israel during the ongoing conflict that began in February 2026. The contradiction regarding the leader's health suggests potential instability within the Iranian high command, which could lead to unpredictable military actions in the region.