Iran's New Supreme Leader Vows 'New Era' of Resistance as U.S. Blockade Sends Oil Above $126

CNBC, Bloomberg, and NBC News all report that:

1. Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a rare public message vowing to protect the country's "nuclear and missile capabilities" as national assets, declaring the Islamic Republic has entered a "new era" of resistance against foreign pressure.
2. Iran's parliament backed the supreme leader's defiant posture, declaring the country will "never relinquish its control over the Strait of Hormuz" — a chokepoint for roughly 20% of the world's oil supply.
3. Oil prices surged to a four-year high in response, with Brent crude peaking above $126 a barrel and U.S. gas prices jumping to $4.30 a gallon — a 27-cent, 7% spike in a single week.

Khamenei's "new era" framing — invoking the revolutionary language of his father's 1979 Islamic Republic — signals that Tehran views the standoff as an ideological test, not merely a diplomatic one. Trump, for his part, told Axios the naval blockade is "somewhat more effective than the bombing" and is "choking" Iran, and said it will remain until a nuclear deal is reached. Social media in Iran circulated Khamenei's speech widely, with state-aligned accounts framing the blockade as proof that foreign powers seek to dismantle the Republic's sovereignty — a message analysts say strengthens hardliners domestically even as fuel shortages begin to bite.