Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, declared that Iran would protect its nuclear and missile capabilities, asserting the US suffered a "disgraceful defeat." He also stated that Americans belong "at the bottom of its waters" in the Persian Gulf, with the Strait of Hormuz under Tehran's control. These statements escalate rhetoric amid regional tensions.

The supreme leader said the only place Americans belong in the Persian Gulf is “at the bottom of its waters,” as the Strait of Hormuz remains in Tehran's chokehold