Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has said foreign enemy forces will soon be pushed out of the Arabian Sea as Tehran’s confrontation with the United States continues to intensify.
Khamenei said Iranian forces had already forced enemy vessels away from waters off southern Iran towards the Arabian Sea.
“The enemy forces do not dare enter the Persian Gulf,” he said in a statement posted on his Telegram channel.
He added that Iranian forces would soon clear the Arabian Sea of foreign forces.
The remarks came amid escalating tensions between Tehran and Washington over US military operations in the region and Iran’s efforts to restrict maritime access through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has also warned neighbouring countries against allowing the United States to use their territories or military installations in the ongoing conflict.
Khamenei has previously called for the withdrawal of US military bases from countries across the region, while Iranian officials have repeatedly warned that the confrontation could extend beyond the Persian Gulf and Red Sea.
Yahya Rahim Safavi, an adviser to Khamenei, said last week that hostilities could spread into the Indian Ocean if Washington carried out further attacks against Iran.
The Indian Ocean has assumed greater importance in the confrontation because of its proximity to strategic maritime routes and the presence of the US-British military facility at Diego Garcia.
At the centre of the dispute remains the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and serving as a major route for global oil shipments.
Iran has moved to restrict shipping through the strait during the conflict, while the United States has called for international vessels to be allowed unrestricted passage.
Khamenei did not specify the foreign forces referred to in his statement or disclose details of the operation he said had pushed them towards the Arabian Sea.
Khamenei warns US as Iran vows to clear Arabian Sea of enemy forces