Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a statement that the country will "guard" its nuclear and missile technologies as talks with the U.S. continue to be at a standstill.
A statement attributed to Khamenei and read by state-run media added that the future of the Persian Gulf will be "one without America."
Khamenei has not been seen since the U.S.-Israeli attack that began the war on February 28. A recent report claimed that he has sustained severe burns and is awaiting a prosthetic leg after being badly injured in the attack.
Citing four Iranian officials familiar with the matter, The New York Times detailed last week that Khamenei has not been seen or heard in public because he "does not want to appear vulnerable or sound weak."
The outlet went on to say that Khamenei's face and lips have been burned severely, making it difficult for him to speak. He has had three surgeries on his leg and is waiting for a prosthetic. He will also need plastic surgery for his face.
Khamenei is largely isolated, with officials fearing visiting him over the chances that they will be targeted and killed by Israel. He receives handwritten measures delivered via a human chain and delivers them back in the same way.
However, another report claims that officials in Israel and the U.S. believe Khamenei is not actually ruling Iran, with control being exerted by the revolutionary guard (IRGC).
Tehran has also said the ongoing U.S.'s blockade of its ports is "doomed to fail" as oil prices remain elevated and the Strait of Hormuz closed.
The stance continues to clash with that of the U.S. and President Donald Trump, who said on Wednesday he is maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports until a deal that addresses the U.S.'s concerns about the country's nuclear program is reached.
Speaking to Axios, Trump said he rejected an Iranian proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz without a nuclear deal. He said the ongoing blockade is "somewhat more effective than the bombing."
"They are choking like a stuffed pig. And it is going to be worse for them. They can't have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. "They want to settle. They don't want me to keep the blockade. I don't want to [lift the blockade], because I don't want them to have a nuclear weapon," he added.
Trump claimed that Tehran's oil storage facilities and pipelines are "getting close to exploding" because the country can't ship exports as a result of the blockade.
The outlet also cited three sources who said the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has prepared a "short and powerful" wave of renewed strikes hoping to break the deadlock.
Iran, in turn, has threatened "unprecedented military action" if the U.S. continues with the blockade.
