Iran Warns Region Against Hosting US Bases Amid Fragile Ceasefire

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, has declared that countries in the Middle East would no longer serve as protective shields for American military bases, amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington.

In a written statement broadcast on Iranian state television on Tuesday to mark the Eid al-Adha holiday, Khamenei warned that the regional balance of power was shifting against the United States.

“What is certain in this regard is that the hands of time will not turn backwards, and the nations and lands of the region will no longer serve as shields for American bases,” he stated.

Khamenei further claimed that the United States was steadily losing its strategic foothold in the region, saying Washington no longer had safe havens for military operations and aggression.

The remarks come as Iran and the United States continue diplomatic exchanges aimed at securing a lasting agreement to end the conflict that erupted on February 28 and rapidly spread across the Middle East.

Although a fragile ceasefire has remained in place since April 8, tensions between both nations persist.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry recently disclosed that Tehran and Washington had reached common ground on several issues related to ending the war, but cautioned that a final agreement was still not close.

Escalating concerns on Tuesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced that they had downed a US drone and opened fire on other aircraft allegedly attempting to violate Iranian airspace, though the exact timing of the incidents was not revealed.

The Guards also warned against any breach of the ceasefire by US forces, insisting Iran reserved the right to respond militarily if provoked.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command said on Monday that American forces targeted missile launch sites in southern Iran and intercepted boats allegedly attempting to deploy naval mines despite the truce.

While Iranian authorities have not officially confirmed the US strikes, state media reported explosions in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas without identifying the cause.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, assumed office in March following the death of his father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed during the opening US-Israel strikes that triggered retaliatory attacks by Tehran across the region.