Khamenei: Foreigners Have ‘No Place’ in Gulf ‘Except at the Bottom of Its Waters’
Iran’s Supreme Leader Vows ‘Chain of Victories’ Will Usher in ‘New Regional and Global Order’
TEHRAN — Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has issued a sweeping and menacing declaration about the future of the Persian Gulf, stating that foreign powers have “no place” in the region “except at the bottom of its waters.”
The statement, posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, escalates Tehran’s rhetorical confrontation with the United States and its Gulf Arab allies as the two-month-old war continues and a fragile ceasefire holds by a thread.
“We and our neighbors across the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman share a common destiny. Foreigners who come from thousands of kilometers away with greedy intentions have no place there — except at the bottom of its waters. This chain of victories, achieved by the grace of God and through the policies of resistance and the strategy of a strong Iran, will mark the dawn of a new regional and global order.”
— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, Supreme Leader of Iran
💣 A Direct Threat to the U.S. Navy
Khamenei’s phrase “no place there — except at the bottom of its waters” is a direct threat to the U.S. naval presence in the Persian Gulf, specifically the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain.
The U.S. currently maintains a significant naval force in the Gulf, including:
- An aircraft carrier strike group (the remaining carriers after the USS Gerald R. Ford’s departure)
- Destroyers and cruisers equipped with Aegis missile defense systems
- Patrol craft and mine countermeasure vessels
- Support ships and logistics vessels
The “chain of victories” Khamenei refers to includes the ability of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to launch missile and drone attacks on U.S. assets, the targeting of commercial shipping, and Iran’s continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz to most commercial traffic . By claiming that these victories are “by the grace of God,” Khamenei is framing the war as a religious struggle, not just a geopolitical dispute.
The Supreme Leader also included Iran’s “neighbors across the waters” in his declaration of a “common destiny.” This could be interpreted as a threat that Gulf states that continue to host U.S. bases (Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE) will share Iran’s fate once the U.S. is expelled—or will be punished for their collaboration.
🌍 A ‘New Regional and Global Order’
Khamenei’s invocation of a “new regional and global order” suggests that he sees Iran’s resistance as part of a broader realignment, one in which the United States’ role as the guarantor of Gulf security is ended and replaced by a system dominated by Iran and its allies (Russia, China, and non-state proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis).
This aligns with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ long-standing goal of expelling “foreign invaders” from the Muslim world. The war has provided a battlefield to test this vision, though the U.S. naval blockade continues to strangle Iran’s economy .
💬 Ceasefire Context and Regional Response
The statement comes as the U.S. Navy is enforcing a naval blockade of Iranian ports and as diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled . The ceasefire remains in place, but Khamenei’s language suggests that Tehran is biding its time, preparing for the next phase of the conflict rather than genuinely seeking a diplomatic off-ramp.
Gulf Arab states have not yet responded to Khamenei’s threats. However, the UAE, which recently quit OPEC and is reassessing its multilateral commitments, may view this as confirmation that its more independent foreign policy (including deepening ties with Israel) is justified . Saudi Arabia, which has been trying to de-escalate tensions with Iran, may find its position undercut by Khamenei’s rhetoric.
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