Iran supreme leader says US will be forced out of Middle East: state TV

Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei stated Monday that the United States will eventually be forced to leave the Middle East after experiencing painful blows in the ongoing conflict, reported state television. Despite efforts to resume peace talks, Iran's adversaries remain confined to the Arabian Sea, as they have faced consequences for venturing beyond its territorial waters.

Khamenei asserted that the enemies' presence will ultimately be expelled from the Arabian Sea, a crucial maritime route linking Iran's coastal regions to the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Both Iran and the United States have been competing for dominance over Hormuz since the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February.

Prior to the conflict, the vital shipping lane transported approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and gas. Iran subsequently imposed a blockade on Hormuz following the war's onset, prompting Washington to retaliate by enforcing its own blockade on Iranian ports.