During a speech May 2, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the US military presence in the Persian Gulf. "Today, the enemy makes statements that are bigger than their mouths," said Khamenei. "They sit and scheme that Iran must not have military drills in the Persian Gulf. What a strange thing to say. They come from that side of the world and conduct drills. What are you guys doing here?"
Addressing the United States, Khamenei joked, "Go to the 'Gulf of Pigs,'" referring to the Bay of Pigs in southwest Cuba, where the United States supported an unsuccessful invasion to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro in 1961. He added, "What are you doing in the Persian Gulf? The Persian Gulf is our home. The Persian Gulf is the place for the presence of the great nation of Iran." He said that Iran would continue to have a presence, hold drills and show its strength in the Persian Gulf.
