Iran’s newly elected Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has vowed to avenge the killing of his father and other top Iranian top officials, ordering that the Strait of Hormuz should remain shutdown.

In a statement read on Thursday on the state television, with a still picture of him displayed on screen, Mr Khamenei also directed the destruction of bases housing U.S. soldiers and facilities in the Middle-East and continued usage of the Strait of Hormuz as a tool for pressure.

Mr Khamenei said, “The demand of the masses of the people is the continuation of effective and regret-inducing defense. Certainly the lever of blocking the Strait of Hormuz must continue to be used.

“In the recent attack some military bases were used. As we had clearly warned, and without attacking those countries themselves, we targeted only those bases. From now on, we will be forced to continue doing this. These countries must determine their position toward those who have attacked our homeland and killed our people. I recommend they close those bases as soon as possible.”

Mr Khamenei also disclosed that Iranian officials had conducted studies regarding the possibility of the “opening of other fronts in which the enemy has little experience and is highly vulnerable,” threatening that, “activating them will take place if the state of war continues and if it serves our interests.”

Also, the new leader said, “We will not ignore revenge for the blood of your martyrs. The revenge we seek is not only for the martyrdom of the great leader of the revolution. Every member of the nation who is martyred by the enemy becomes an independent case for revenge. A limited amount of this revenge has already taken place in practice. But until it reaches its complete extent, this case will remain open above all others.”

He appreciated the allied armed groups in the region for supporting Tehran, saying “We consider the countries of the resistance front our best friends,” noting “The resistance front is an inseparable part of the values of the Islamic Revolution.”

He also hailed Iranians for their resilience since the war started, adding “The insight and intelligence of the great nation of Iran in the recent events and its perseverance, courage and presence astonished friends and enemies alike.”

Mr Khamenei, 56, has yet to make public appearance since he emerged as his father’s successor.

He emerged as his father’s successor after about 40 top Iranian officials were killed in a joint U.S.-Israeli attack dubbed Operarion Epic Fury, launched on February 28.

The new supreme leader reportedly injured in the attack has not made any public appearance. However, his statement suggested that Iran was not backing down on the lingering hostilities.

Mr Khamenei’s threat to continue shutdown of Strait of Hormuz, the narrow ocean passageway connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean through which about 20 per cent of world’s oil and gas is ferried, came amid surge in global oil prices as a result ot lingering crisis between U.S. and Iran for about two weeks.

Experts have predicted that continuous blockades of the Strait of Hormuz could see oil prices currently at $100 per barrel hit $200 per barrel