Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, declared that Iran intends to establish new legal frameworks to manage the Strait of Hormuz and asserted that the United States has no role in the future of the Persian Gulf region. In a rare public statement, he also vowed that Iran would retain its nuclear capabilities, describing them as national assets to be safeguarded.

The remarks come as negotiations to permanently end the war between Iran and the United States and Israel remain stalled following a recent ceasefire. Disputes over Iran's nuclear program and control of the strategic waterway, which carries a significant share of the world's oil supply, have emerged as central obstacles. Both sides are enforcing blockades around the strait, contributing to rising energy prices.

Iran recently proposed reopening the waterway while imposing substantial tolls on passing tankers, a plan rejected by the United States and criticized by neighboring Arab countries. The ongoing conflict has severely strained Iran's economy, weakening its currency, while the new supreme leader, who succeeded his father after he was killed in the early stages of the war, has largely remained out of public view amid reports of internal power struggles.