Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has warned that Gulf countries will no longer act as “shields” for the United States, signaling a shift in Tehran’s posture toward regional US military assets amid ongoing conflict.
In a written message marking Eid al-Adha released Tuesday, May 26, 2026, Khamenei said “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 added that the US “will no longer have a safe haven for mischief and the establishment of military bases in the region.
The statement comes during active US-Iran tensions following strikes that began on February 28, 2026, when Iran’s war with the US and Israel broke out. Since then, Iran has retaliated against bases in the Gulf and contested US presence in the Strait of Hormuz. A fragile ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but both sides continue military actions.
Khamenei’s remarks put direct pressure on Gulf states like Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE, which host major US facilities. The US operates a broad network of military sites across at least 19 locations in the region. The warning suggests Iran may target these assets if American operations continue.
The leader, who has not appeared in public since taking office in March after his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening US-Israel strikes, used the Hajj pilgrimage message to urge Muslim countries to shape a new regional order based on “shared capacities and common interests”. He also called for unity and prayers for “the liberation of Palestine and Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The timing is sensitive. Iran’s negotiating team arrived in Qatar on Monday for talks with the US and Israel, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said a deal was still possible despite new strikes. Rubio also stressed that the Strait of Hormuz “has to be open one way or the other…See More
