International news agencies reported this Friday (20) that the United States is sending more marines and amphibious assault ships to the Middle East, shortly after Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, claimed that the country had defeated the “enemy”.
According to Britain’s Reuters, three American officials reported that the US Armed Forces are sending a large amphibious assault ship with thousands of Marines to the Middle East.
The American Associated Press added that the vessel mentioned is the USS Boxer, which will be accompanied by two other amphibious assault ships, representing a contingent of around 2,500 marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. AP sources reported that the group has already left its home port in San Diego, California.
The information was published on the same day that Khamenei, in a speech read by a presenter on Iranian state TV, claimed victory over the USA.
“At this moment, due to the singular unity that has been created among you, our compatriots – despite all differences of religious, intellectual, cultural and political origin – the enemy has been defeated,” he said.
Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen on March 8 to replace his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in an attack by the United States and Israel on the first day of the current war in the Middle East, on February 28.
On March 12, the new leader released his first message, which was read on Iranian state television, without the ayatollah appearing. This increased speculation that Khamenei had been seriously injured in the attack that killed his father or that he was even dead – US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that Mojtaba was “disfigured”.
The Iranian regime released on Thursday (19) the first video of Khamenei since he was chosen for the position, but the lack of information in the images generates speculation that it is a pre-war recording.
In the video, released by state broadcaster IRIB, Khamenei appears sitting on a stage, speaking to an audience at an undisclosed location and date.
