Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei has announced that a new legal framework for the Strait of Hormuz is being developed, emphasizing that Tehran will assert control over the vital waterway to maintain regional security.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran, through the exercise of its management over the Strait of Hormuz, will secure the Persian Gulf and put an end to the hostile exploitation of this waterway,” he said in a message marking National Persian Gulf Day, The Caspian Post reports, citing Fars News Agency.

He added that “a new legal framework and management of the Strait of Hormuz will bring stability, progress and economic benefits to all nations of the region”.

Khamenei said these developments form part of what he described as “a new chapter” unfolding in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

In the message, published by Iranian media, he described the Persian Gulf as an inseparable part of Iran’s identity and a vital artery of the global economy, linking it to broader geopolitical and security dynamics in the region.

He said that recent events, including what he referred to as a large-scale military build-up and aggression by global powers, had underscored the strategic importance of the waterway and exposed the limits of US influence.

“The presence of American forces and their bases in the Persian Gulf is the primary source of insecurity in the region,” he said, adding that such bases lack the capacity to guarantee even their own security.

Khamenei also said regional countries share a “common destiny” and should ensure security through cooperation, arguing that foreign powers have no place in the Gulf.

He added that Iran’s naval forces, alongside the country’s armed forces and population, had demonstrated strength and resilience in confronting external pressure in recent weeks.

Looking ahead, he said the region’s future would be “bright” and free of foreign interference, driven instead by cooperation among regional states and supported by Iran’s strategic capabilities.