Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday criticized the United States, calling it the “great devil” and hinting at no compromise on Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.In a written statement read on state television, Khamenei said Iran’s strategic programs are non-negotiable and central to national sovereignty. He also said that there is no place for Americans in the Persian Gulf region.“We and our neighbors across the Persian Gulf and the (Gulf) of Oman share a common destiny. Those who come from thousands of kilometers away to act with foreign greed and malice have no place in it – except at the bottom of its waters,” he said, as quoted by the Associated Press.He further described Iran’s technological and military capabilities as national assets that would be protected by the population. Khamenei said, “Ninety million proud and respected Iranians inside and outside the country consider all of Iran’s identity-based, spiritual, humanitarian, scientific, industrial and technological capabilities – from nanotechnology and biotechnology to nuclear and missile capabilities – as national assets, and will protect them in the same way they protect the country’s waters, land and airspace.”The comments come amid heightened tensions in West Asia, where Iran’s oil sector is reportedly under strain due to sanctions affecting the movement of tankers. The disruption coincided with volatility in global oil prices, with Brent crude previously reaching $126 a barrel.The Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of global oil and gas flows, remains the epicenter of the standoff. Iran’s strategic position on the waterway has increased volatility in energy markets and increased pressure on the United States as it considers its response.With a fragile ceasefire still in force, the US and Iran are locked in disputes over sanctions, nuclear talks and maritime control. Tehran has also proposed delaying talks over its nuclear program, while Washington says its aim is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful but it has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade levels.Khamenei also linked Iran’s regional stance to broader geopolitical changes and said the future of the Persian Gulf should be shaped by regional powers rather than external actors.He suggested Iran would continue to assert its position on the Strait of Hormuz and what he described as a “new management” framework for the waterway. The Gulf Arab countries and most of the international community view the strait as an important international route for global trade.