Tehran, Sept. 28 -- With Washington rejecting Tehran's proposal linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Hosseini Khamenei on Monday stressed the widespread "armed readiness" across the Islamic Republic and said Iranians remained united in preserving the strategically important waterway.

In a message issued on the occasion of Iran's "Sacred Defense Week" and the anniversary of the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyid Hassan Nasrallah, Khamenei said Iran's armed forces and different sections of society were prepared to confront the country's adversaries.

"Presently, throughout Islamic Iran-adorned by the presence of diverse ethnicities-various declarations of readiness, particularly armed readiness, exist to co...