Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei released a new statement on Thursday to mark National Persian Gulf Day, in which he said the future of the Persian Gulf will be one "without America," per a reading of the statement by Iranian state media.

Khamenei, who has not been seen in public since the start of the war, was elected to replace his slain father -- Ayatollah Ali Khamenei -- as supreme leader in March.

In his statement, Khamenei said Iran "will guard" its nuclear and missile technologies despite external pressure from the U.S. and Israel. Tehran will also "secure the Persian Gulf region and eliminate the hostile enemy's misuse of this waterway," Khamenei said.

The supreme leader continued, "We share a 'co-destiny' with our neighbors in the vast expanse of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of ​​Oman, and the foreigners who greedily commit evil in it from thousands of kilometers away have no place in it except in the depths of its waters."

-ABC News' Maryam Moqaddam and Joe Simonetti

The price of oil again surged on Thursday, with a key benchmark climbing to prices not seen since 2022, as President Donald Trump again said the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz was expected to continue.

Trump told Axios in a phone interview on Wednesday that he rejected an Iranian peace offer that would lift the naval blockade and open the strait but delay nuclear talks.

Brent crude prices, a benchmark for global trading, climbed about 3% on Thursday, crossing briefly above $120 a barrel for contracts to purchase oil in June. The price rose as high as $126 per barrel but pared some of its gains by midmorning in London.

Futures contracts for West Texas Intermediate climbed about 1% in early trading, briefly topping $110 per barrel for June purchases.

Gas prices in the United States hit on Tuesday their highest level in four years, according to AAA.

-ABC News' Kevin Shalvey

Rear Adm. Shahram Irani, the commander of the Iranian Navy, said in a statement published by Iranian state media on Wednesday that Iran "will take swift and decisive action" in the event of resumed hostilities with the U.S. and Israel.

Tehran, Irani said, has "closed the Strait of Hormuz from the Arabian Sea, and if they come forward, we will take swift and decisive action," as quoted by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting organization.

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

The head of U.S. Central Command said Wednesday that 42 ships have been turned back by the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

"Right now there are 41 tankers with 69 million barrels of oil that the Iranian regime can't sell. That's an estimated $6 billion-plus from which Iran's leadership cannot financially benefit," Adm. Brad Cooper said in a statement on X.

A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News a report from Iranian state media that six of the crew aboard the M/T Touska have been released by the U.S. Another 22 Iranian mariners remain in U.S. custody.

The Tasnim news agency said that some of the Iranian crew members had their families aboard the ship at the time that it was seized by the U.S. as it ignored warnings not to block the blockade.

-ABC News' Luis Martinez

Three members of Lebanon's Civil Defense were killed by Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Tuesday while trying to carry out a rescue operation, Lebanon's Civil Defense said.

Hussein Sati, Hadi Daher and Hussein Ghadbouni were all long-time volunteers with the Civil Defense, the service said. Sati is survived by two children, while Daher and Ghadbouni were both in their 20s.

The Lebanese Armed Forces said two of its soldiers were also injured in the same attack.

-ABC News' Victoria Beaule