THE GUARDIAN: Message read out by newsreader calls for national unity and says that all US bases in the region should close or face attacks
In his first public remarks as Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei apparently called for national unity and said that all US bases in the region should close or face attacks. The strait of Hormuz will remain closed in order to pressure Iran’s enemies, Khamenei reportedly said. He was not seen in the broadcast and the statement was delivered by a newsreader.
Khamenei said Iran will avenge the those who were killed in US-Israeli airstrikes, including the dozens of seven to 12-year-old girls who were killed in an airstrike that hit a school in Minab. He also offered financial compensation for Iranians who suffered damage from the attacks. Middle East Crisis Live » | Lucy Campbell (now); Tom Ambrose, Vivian Ho and Adam Fulton (earlier) | Thursday, March 12, 2026