Day 13: Mojtaba Khamenei Issues First Statement — Vows Hormuz Stays Closed; Oil Hits $100

Iran's new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued his purported first statement since succeeding his father (killed Feb 28), calling for unity and declaring the Strait of Hormuz will remain a 'tool of pressure.' He called for all US bases in the region to immediately close or face attack, and warned Iran is studying expansion of the war to additional fronts — citing Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iraqi militias. Khamenei did not appear in the broadcast; a photo was shown on screen while another person read the remarks, raising authenticity questions. Oil prices spiked past $100/bbl overnight in response. The statement contradicted President Pezeshkian's conditional peace terms outlined earlier in the week.