# Iran’s New Supreme Leader Vows to Exclude U.S. From Persian Gulf *Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 12:04 PM UTC — Hamer Intelligence Services Desk* **Published**: 2026-04-30T12:04:31.246Z (8h ago) **Category**: geopolitics | **Region**: Middle East **Importance**: 8/10 **Sources**: OSINT **Permalink**: https://hamerintel.com/data/articles/2128.md **Source**: https://hamerintel.com/summaries --- **Deck**: On 30 April 2026, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a series of statements asserting Tehran’s intent to manage security in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz without U.S. military presence. He declared that the region’s future would be “without America,” promising new legal frameworks for the strategic waterway. ## Key Takeaways - On 30 April 2026, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei publicly declared that Iran will manage security in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz without U.S. forces. - Khamenei stated that foreigners “with greedy intentions” have no place in the region “except at the bottom” of its waters. - He pledged new legal and management frameworks for the strait to benefit regional states and curb “hostile misuse.” - The rhetoric signals an assertive posture amid ongoing tensions over shipping and recent U.S. military operations in the area. - These statements raise the risk of renewed maritime confrontations and legal disputes over navigation rights and control. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has set out an uncompromising vision for the security architecture of the Persian Gulf, declaring on 30 April 2026 (with statements reported from 10:48 to 10:55 UTC) that Iran will continue to “manage” the Strait of Hormuz and ensure regional security without any U.S. military presence. In a series of remarks, he argued that Iran and its Gulf neighbors “share a common destiny,” while asserting that foreign powers from “thousands of kilometers away with greedy intentions” have no legitimate role in the region, warning that their only place could be “at the bottom” of the sea. Khamenei framed Iran’s control over the strait as a “blessing” that must be safeguarded through “practical thanks,” promising new legal frameworks and management mechanisms that he said would bring “comfort and progress” to all nations bordering the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. He predicted that, “by the will and power of God,” the region’s future would be “one without America,” dedicated to the prosperity of its peoples. These declarations come amid ongoing tension over freedom of navigation and security of energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz—a chokepoint through which a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas trade passes. They also intersect with reports of faltering U.S. efforts to fully restore shipping security in the face of Iranian interdictions and shows of force over recent months. Key actors in this emerging dynamic include Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGC‑N) and regular navy, which conduct most of Tehran’s operations in the Gulf; U.S. naval forces and their allies, which maintain patrols and escort missions under the banner of protecting commercial shipping; and Gulf Arab states that rely heavily on the strait for exports but differ in their approaches to engaging Tehran. Khamenei’s statements matter because they codify at the highest political level Iran’s ambition to reshape the regional security order around an exclusion of Western, particularly U.S., military power. While Iran has long denounced foreign military presence, the emphasis on new “legal frameworks” suggests an intent to formalize alternative regimes—potentially through regional agreements on traffic separation, inspection regimes, or joint patrols that either sideline or directly contradict existing international maritime norms. For Washington and its partners, these remarks signal that Iran is unlikely to accept any long‑term security arrangement in the Gulf that leaves U.S. forces as the primary guarantor of open sea lanes. Tehran could leverage its influence with regional non‑state actors and its own naval capabilities to apply pressure on shipping as a means of shaping negotiations or retaliating against sanctions and other coercive measures. Regionally, Khamenei’s insistence on shared destiny with neighboring states could appeal to Gulf actors seeking to reduce direct confrontation and diversify their security partnerships. At the same time, his overtly exclusionary language toward the U.S. may alarm states that still see Western security guarantees as indispensable. The result could be a more fragmented security landscape, with some Gulf governments experimenting with limited accommodation with Iran while others double down on external defense ties. ## Outlook & Way Forward Over the near term, Iran is likely to translate Khamenei’s rhetoric into a mix of diplomatic initiatives and calibrated military signaling. Diplomatically, Tehran may push for regional conferences or bilateral talks aimed at creating indigenous Gulf security mechanisms, positioning itself as a champion of regional autonomy. Militarily, expect continued IRGC‑N patrols, close approaches to foreign warships, and occasional boarding or harassment of commercial tankers, especially those linked to adversarial states. For the U.S. and its allies, the challenge will be to maintain credible deterrence and freedom of navigation without provoking an incident that Tehran could use to justify a more overt attempt to restrict traffic through the strait. This will require disciplined rules of engagement, enhanced situational awareness, and intensified coordination with Gulf partners whose vessels could be at risk of interdiction. Indicators to watch include any formal Iranian proposals for new legal regimes in the Strait of Hormuz, shifts in Gulf states’ public positions on U.S. basing and patrols, and practical changes in Iranian behavior toward commercial shipping. A buildup of naval assets, increased rate of vessel seizures, or attempts to impose unilateral transit conditions would signal movement from rhetoric toward active contestation of existing maritime order—heightening the risk of miscalculation and broader confrontation.