IRAN’S newly installed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said the closure of the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained as a strategic lever against adversaries, marking his first public comments since assuming the country’s top leadership role.

In televised remarks broadcast by Iranian state media on Thursday, Khamenei said the waterway, a critical global energy shipping route, must remain shut as a “tool to pressure the enemy.” He also demanded that all United States military bases across the Middle East be closed immediately, warning that they could face attacks if operations continue, CNBC reported.

The comments triggered fresh volatility in global energy markets, with oil prices extending gains shortly after the statement was aired. Brent is nearly $100 per barrel, with Murban Crude $120.2 at at 3.07pm on Thursday.

Khamenei’s remarks come just days after he was appointed Iran’s supreme leader on March 9 following the assassination of his father, Ali Khamenei, in joint U.S.-Israeli air strikes that began in late February. The attack targeted the elder Khamenei’s compound and killed several members of his immediate family. Mojtaba Khamenei was reportedly injured in the strike.

“Iran will not refrain from avenging the blood of its martyrs,” he said, calling on Iranians to unite in the face of external pressure.

READ ALSO: Iran’s Hormuz mines threaten one-fifth of global oil trade

At 56, Mojtaba Khamenei is widely viewed by analysts as more conservative and hardline than his father, although he maintained a relatively low public profile within Iran’s political structure before his elevation to the country’s most powerful office.

U.S. President Donald Trump reacted critically to the appointment, telling Fox News he was ‘disappointed’ by the decision of Iran’s clerical leadership and expressing doubt that the new leader would pursue peaceful coexistence.

Despite the rhetoric, it remains unclear whether Washington is seeking regime change in Tehran as a central objective of the ongoing military campaign. Security analysts have noted that sustained airstrikes alone are unlikely to remove Iran’s ruling establishment.

Fighting between Iran and the U.S.-Israeli alliance has intensified in recent days, with strikes continuing on Iranian military and infrastructure targets. Tehran has also escalated its response, including attacks on oil tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Khamenei warned that Iran would either seek compensation from its enemies for damages caused by the conflict or retaliate by destroying their assets.

Implications

The continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply normally passes, could significantly tighten global energy markets and drive oil prices sharply higher. Such disruption would increase inflationary pressures worldwide, particularly for oil-importing economies.

For energy-dependent countries like Nigeria, higher crude prices could temporarily boost export earnings and government revenues. However, the gains may be offset by rising domestic fuel costs and broader economic uncertainty if global shipping routes remain disrupted.

The escalation also raises the risk of a wider regional conflict across the Middle East, particularly if attacks on U.S. military facilities or commercial shipping intensify. Any sustained disruption in the Strait could prompt further military involvement from Western powers seeking to secure global energy supply routes.

For financial markets, prolonged instability in the Gulf is likely to fuel volatility in commodities, equities, and currencies as investors react to shifting geopolitical risks.

READ ALSO: Gulf oil producers cut output by over 5mbpd as Hormuz disruptions bite

Goldman Sachs has already revised its projections for crude oil prices, forecasting that Brent crude will average $71 per barrel in the final quarter (Q4) of the year, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is expected to average $67 per barrel over the same period, according to analysts cited by Reuters.

The latest estimate represents an upward adjustment from the bank’s earlier forecast, which had placed Brent at $66 per barrel and WTI at $62 per barrel for the final quarter of 2026.