Iran's Supreme Leader Says US Dares Not Cross Arabian Sea, Trump Confirms Talks with Mediators

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei mocked the United States on Monday, saying that Tehran's enemies will ultimately be driven out of the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict with Iran.

Mojtaba Khamenei Praises Guardians of the Strait of Hormuz

In a post on social media platform X, the Iranian Supreme Leader stated that Tehran's "enemies" have suffered "heavy blows" at the hands of "brave [Iranian] fighters" and the "guardians" of the Strait of Hormuz.

He added that because of this, "they dare not cross the Arabian Sea." Khamenei then said, "It will not be long before the Arabian Sea is also rid of their presence."

Today, due to the heavy blows they [the enemies] have suffered at the hands of brave [Iranian] fighters and the #GuardiansOfTheStraitOfHormuz, they dare not cross the Arabian Sea. It will not be long before the Arabian Sea is also rid of their presence.

— Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, September 28, 2026

US Marines Injured in Strait of Hormuz Attack

On Sunday, NBC News reported, citing comments from three unnamed US officials, that eight US Marines showed symptoms of concussions and headaches due to smoke inhalation and possible head trauma, but were not seriously injured.

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The officials declined to comment on the type of vessel the Marines were on but confirmed they were not on a US Navy ship. The report said the attack had not been previously disclosed.

Notably, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it attacked two US vessels as well as eight oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month. However, these claims were denied by US Central Command.

Antony Blinken on Iran Deal

Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken weighed in Monday on President Donald Trump's reportedly proposed deal to Iran, saying Trump's offer to lift sanctions and release frozen funds in exchange for Iranian nuclear rollback is part of a memorandum of understanding signed in June, and mirrors former President Barack Obama's 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

On the other hand, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reiterated Tehran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, saying customers have paid premiums of up to $50 for oil procurement since the war began in February 2026, and slammed Trump.

Oil, Gas Moves

As of press time, the West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contract for November delivery was up 0.75% at $93.28. The Brent crude oil futures contract for November delivery was up 0.59% at $98.41 at the time of writing.

The United States Oil Fund ETF rose 0.05% to $150.08, while the ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ETF gained 0.53% to $53.39.

On fuel costs, US gasoline prices have surged over the past few weeks. AAA data showed the national average gasoline price edged down to $4.4768 per gallon on Monday. Meanwhile, diesel prices also fell to $6.45311 per gallon on Monday.