Iran's Khamenei Vows to Defend Nuclear, Missile Capabilities as National Assets

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday said the Islamic Republic will firmly protect its “nuclear and missile capabilities,” describing them as national assets, even as US President Donald Trump pushes for a deal aimed at curbing Iran’s strategic programmes, AP reported.

In a detailed written statement read aloud on Iranian state television, Khamenei said Iran’s scientific, technological and defence capacities—including nanotechnology, biotechnology, nuclear energy and missile systems—are viewed by the Iranian people as integral to national identity and sovereignty.

“Ninety million proud and honorable Iranians inside and outside the country regard all of Iran’s identity-based, spiritual, human, scientific, industrial and technological capacities—from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities—as national assets, and will protect them just as they protect the country’s waters, land and airspace,” he said.

He also said that US has suffered 'disgraceful defeat', in written message, as per AFP.

Khamenei’s remarks come amid renewed diplomatic pressure from Washington, with Trump seeking a fresh understanding or agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and missile-related activities, even as tensions between the two sides remain high. The Iranian leader has been issuing written messages read on state media since he assumed office following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in a February 28 airstrike.

‘New phase’ in Gulf and Hormuz

Alongside his remarks on Iran’s defence capabilities, Khamenei also said a “new chapter” or “new phase” was taking shape in the Persian Gulf region and the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz following the outbreak of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel. He framed the developments as part of a broader geopolitical realignment, suggesting that the region was entering a stage defined by reduced Western influence and greater regional autonomy.

“The bright future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without America, one serving the progress, comfort and prosperity of its people,” he said.

Khamenei further emphasised what he described as shared regional interests among Gulf states and neighbouring countries across the Gulf of Oman, saying these nations collectively shape a common destiny.

“We and our neighbors across the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman share a common destiny,” he said, adding that external powers had no legitimate place in the region.

Sharp warning to US presence

In some of his most striking remarks, Khamenei directly criticised foreign military and political presence in the Gulf, saying countries that come from “thousands of kilometers away” driven by “greed and malice” had no role in the region’s future. He went further to say that the only place Americans belonged in the Persian Gulf was “at the bottom of its waters,” underscoring the increasingly confrontational rhetoric amid ongoing tensions.

The Strait of Hormuz, through which a significant portion of global oil trade flows, remains a focal point of geopolitical concern, with Iran long asserting strategic leverage over the narrow maritime passage.

Broader geopolitical context

The latest comments come at a time of heightened volatility in West Asia, with diplomatic efforts over Iran’s nuclear programme running parallel to escalating political and military tensions in the region. Khamenei’s remarks appear aimed at reinforcing domestic messaging around sovereignty and resistance, while signalling defiance against external pressure on both Iran’s defence capabilities and its regional posture. With negotiations and strategic signalling continuing on multiple fronts, the Gulf region remains at the centre of a widening geopolitical contest involving Iran, the United States and their respective allies.