Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday said Tehran would continue targeting U.S. military bases in the region while avoiding strikes on the host countries, adding that Iran still seeks “friendship with our neighbours.”
“We attacked those bases without attacking their host countries. We will continue to do so, although we still believe in the need for friendship with our neighbours,” he said, according to Reuters. He urged regional governments to shutter U.S. installations, calling Washington’s claims of providing security “nothing more than a lie.”
Addressing Iran’s armed forces, the leader said the public expects the military to “continue our effective defence and make the enemy regret,” adding that Iran would keep using the “lever” of threatening the Strait of Hormuz.
He said preparations had been made to open “new fronts” where adversaries are “extremely vulnerable,” to be activated if the conflict continues.
To the Iranian public, he called for unity and patience. “The unity between individuals and groups of the nation… must not be undermined,” he said, vowing that Iran “will not neglect avenging the blood of your martyrs.”
