Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei says on his Telegram channel that Gulf powers will no longer be a shield for United States bases and the US will no longer have a safe haven in the region, as Tehran and Washington discuss a framework to end their three-month-old war.
Several US bases in the Middle East were attacked by Iran during the war.
The 56-year-old has not appeared publicly since he was named as Iran’s supreme leader on March 8, issuing only written statements, fueling speculation about his health after he was injured in strikes.
His statement comes hours after US forces attacked missile sites in southern Iran and boats trying to lay mines.
The strikes threatened an already fragile ceasefire that began April 8 as the United States and Iran struggle to reach an accord to end a war that has rattled the global economy with a severe disruption of energy flows. Washington and Tehran have played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
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