Iran's New Supreme Leader Vows to Continue Strait Closure as UN Ceasefire Resolution Fails

On March 12, 2026, Iran's newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in his first public message since assuming office, called for the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz and pledged to open new fronts in the conflict with the US and Israel, signaling a hardening of Tehran's position amid ongoing hostilities. Meanwhile, the Israeli military launched fresh airstrikes in Beirut and ordered reinforcements to the northern border in response to rocket attacks from Lebanese Hezbollah.

The UN Security Council on March 11 failed to pass a Russian-sponsored resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, with the US and Latvia voting against, though it had earlier adopted a GCC-backed resolution condemning Iranian attacks on Gulf states, which Iran's UN representative denounced as "unjust and unlawful."