Iran's Supreme Leader Vows to Safeguard Nuclear and Missile Assets Amid US Negotiations

Iran's Commitment to National Defense

Dubai: On Thursday, Iran's supreme leader asserted that the nation will steadfastly defend its "nuclear and missile capabilities" as vital national assets, despite ongoing negotiations led by US President Donald Trump regarding these matters.

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei delivered this message through a written statement broadcast on Iranian state television, a practice he has maintained since succeeding his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who passed away following a February 28 airstrike.

"Ninety million proud and honorable Iranians, both domestically and abroad, view all aspects of Iran's identity—spiritual, human, scientific, industrial, and technological—as national treasures. They will safeguard these assets, including our nuclear and missile capabilities, just as they protect our land, waters, and airspace," Khamenei emphasized.

He further declared that the only appropriate place for Americans in the Persian Gulf is "at the bottom of its waters," asserting Tehran's control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

"With God's assistance, the future of the Persian Gulf will be one devoid of American presence, fostering progress, comfort, and prosperity for its inhabitants," Khamenei stated.

"We share a common destiny with our neighbors across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Foreign entities, arriving from thousands of kilometers away with greed and malice, have no rightful place in our waters—except at the bottom of them."