Iran has warned Donald Trump and Israel not to launch strikes as the country prepares for the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in airstrikes on the first day of the war.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the “enemies of Iran” should avoid a “miscalculation” or else face harsh retaliation.
Funeral processions for Khamenei will begin on July 4 in Tehran and conclude on July 9 with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad, with additional ceremonies planned in Qom and Iraq in-between these dates.
On Thursday, pictured showed IRGC soldiers carrying the coffin of Mojtaba Khamenei’s wife Zahra Haddad Adel ahead of her funeral ceremony.
Meanwhile, Trump told reporters that the “denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well” and that “very good meetings” were held in Qatar as he and his vice president played down any suggestion of a return to all-out combat.
Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Qatar on Tuesday to meet mediators, but no direct talks have taken place.
Qatar's foreign ministry said the talks made "positive progress" on issues related to the interim agreement.
Read MoreTrump ‘briefed on options for return to war with Iran as peace process stumbles’
‘Positive progress’ in US-Iran talks despite Strait of Hormuz strikes
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In Mideast and around the world, everyone's talking 'ceasefire.' But what does it really mean?
Key Points
- Qatar says US-Iran talks made 'positive progress', next round after Khamenei funeral
- Iran says Strait of Hormuz is under its control, rejects US military role
- Iran war cost American households $1,000 each, economist estimates
- ICYMI: Iran–US held fresh indirect talks in Doha with no breakthrough
- Trump administration lobbied Saudis over Strait of Hormuz as tensions flared: report
Iran warns against US interference in Strait of Hormuz
13:30 , Daniel KeaneIran said that any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a "decisive and rapid" response.
State media said that the continued presence of US air assets across the waterway endangered regional security, state media reported.
Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates Iran's armed forces operations, said all tanker and commercial vessels must follow routes designated by Tehran for safe passage through the strait, adding that deviations or failure to comply with navigation protocols would face an immediate response.
India to send minister and governor to Ali Khamenei funeral
12:30 , Daniel KeaneIndia said that its deputy foreign minister and a state governor would represent the country at the state funeral of Iran's former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Governor of Bihar, Syed Ata Hasnain, and deputy foreign minister Pabitra Margherita will visit Iran on July 3, the Indian foreign ministry said in a statement.
"The high-level representation in the ceremony underscores the importance of civilizational ties, including people-to-people connection, between the two countries, providing a robust foundation to political and economic engagements," it said.
Tehran warns Trump and Israel not to attack during Khamenei’s funeral
11:33 , Daniel KeaneIran has warned Donald Trump and Israel not to launch strikes as the country prepares for the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in airstrikes on the first day of the war.
Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said the “enemies of Iran” should avoid a “miscalculation” or else face harsh retaliation.
Funeral processions for Khamenei will begin on July 4 in Tehran and conclude on July 9 with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad, with additional ceremonies planned in Qom and Iraq in-between these dates.
Iran to allow Afghan nationals to enter for Khamenei's funeral
10:00 , Shweta SharmaIran said it will open the border with Afghanistan to allow Afghan nationals to enter through the Dogharoun border crossing 24 hours before the funeral ceremony for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the governor of Taybad said on Thursday.
Special arrangements are being made to transfer Afghan nationals from the border to Mashhad to attend the ceremony.
He said they would then be taken back to the Dogharoun crossing after the funeral, after receiving their passports.
The governor said no Afghan nationals had entered Iran through the crossing so far, adding that visas had been issued to 2,500 people.
Trump says the US and Iran getting along very well
09:30 , Shweta SharmaOil prices fall to pre-war levels as Strait of Hormuz shipping slowly recovers
09:00 , Shweta SharmaOil prices fell to levels last seen before the US-Iran war as the gradual resumption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz continued to drain the risk premium that had pushed crude to its highs during the conflict.
West Texas Intermediate, the US crude benchmark, fell to around $68.00 a barrel on Thursday morning, while Brent crude, the international benchmark, dropped to $71.16.
The declines extended steep losses from the previous session, when Brent closed down 1.9 per cent at $71.57 and WTI settled 1.3 per cent lower at $68.58.
Oil prices fall to pre-war levels as Strait of Hormuz shipping slowly recovers
Iranian parliament speaker urges mass turnout at ayatollah's funeral
08:30 , Shweta SharmaIranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on Thursday urged the public to attend the funeral of slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei, saying the ceremony should show what he called the nation's demand for blood vengeance to the world.
Ghalibaf said people should show that they would not remain silent in the face of arrogance and would not forget “the blood of their imam.”
He described the funeral as a reaffirmation of allegiance to Khamenei’s path and the values of the Islamic Republic.
US considering pulling back on military footprint in Saudi Arabia: report
07:59 , Josh Marcus
The U.S.-Iran war has scrambled relations across the Gulf, and it is reportedly driving a major wedge between America and Saudi Arabia, which angered the Trump administration earlier this year when it temporarily blocked U.S. forces from using its airspace to guide ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
Now, The Wall Street Journal reports, the U.S. is considering reducing its military footprint in the kingdom, a change which would represent a major break with decades of security arrangements.
Iran vow to deliver 'powerful response' to threats against people or leadership
07:45 , Shweta SharmaIran will deliver an immediate and powerful response to any threat against its people or leadership, Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said in an X post on Wednesday.
"POTUS has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them," Araqchi said.
The US and Iran held technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.
Gaza marks 1,000 days of war
07:21 , Shweta SharmaPalestinians face an uncertain future as Gaza marked the 1,000th day of war since Israel launched an offensive in Gaza following a Hamas-led attack.
Other conflicts have emerged in the region, and fragile ceasefires show scars of persistent attacks.
Both Israelis and Palestinians are weary of the strain.
The fate of over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, largely displaced and living amid ruins, remains uncertain.
Israeli forces controlled over half of the territory under the ceasefire that took effect on October 10, but Israel's government has expanded that and says it aims to hold 70%.
“Much more needs to be done so that even a semblance of normality can come back, and we are far, far away from this," the International Committee of the Red Cross regional director, Nicolas von Arx, said this week.
Israeli strikes have lessened considerably since the ceasefire took effect, but they continue almost daily.
Gaza's health ministry counted 1,053 Palestinians dead since the ceasefire as of Tuesday, including over 350 women and children.
The United Nations on Wednesday warned that the Israeli expansion in Gaza increases deadly risks for civilians in "areas lacking clear demarcation on the ground."
The health ministry said over 3,400 people have been wounded since the ceasefire.
The ministry is part of the Hamas-led government and maintains detailed casualty records seen as generally reliable by UN agencies and independent experts.
Iran war cut into construction spending in US: data
07:00 , Josh Marcus
Construction spending in May was down 4 percent year-over-year, according to new U.S. Census Bureau data, a change homebuilders are blaming on the macroeconomic impacts of the Iran war.
EJ Johnson, president of the Lance Johnson Building Company in Arkansas, had been expecting a strong selling season before the conflict kicked off in late February.
“Then we decided to go to war,” Johnson told Marketplace. “We're still moving houses, but we're not moving them at the rate that we should be today.”
Mediators note 'positive progress' in US-Iran talks in Doha
06:38 , Shweta SharmaQatar and Pakistani mediators concluded separate meetings with the US and Iranian negotiators in Doha on Tuesday, Pakistan’s foreign ministry said.
It said “positive progress” had been made on the issues related to the MoU.
“Parties have agreed to continue discussions over the coming period with the next meeting set at the earliest possible time following the funeral processions of the former Iranian Supreme Leader,” it said.
Oil prices extend losses as traffic partially resumed through Hormuz
06:09 , Shweta SharmaOil prices continued to fall in early trading as traffic has partially resumed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures fell 73 cents, or 1.02 per cent, to $70.84 a barrel by 01.02 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude dropped 83 cents, or 1.21%, to $67.75 a barrel.
Both benchmarks had already fallen more than 1% in the previous session, hitting their lowest levels in four months as investors weighed the prospect of continued diplomacy between Washington and Tehran.
Kpler, a data and analytics firm, said shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained steady on Tuesday, with 34 verified vessel crossings recorded and traffic evenly balanced in both directions.
Vance praises troops for giving Trump 'leverage' to seek Iran deal
06:00 , Josh Marcus
U.S. Vice President JD Vance praised American troops — and the Trump administration’s Iran deal tactics — during a visit Wednesday to a naval base.
“Today, as I sit here, there are people in this country who want you to just keep going and keep going,” Vance, a longtime critic of foreign wars, told service members at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia.
He also blasted critics who he said “attack the president of the United States for using the leverage that you gave him to engage in negotiation.”
“And why do we engage in negotiation?” Vance added. “Because of you. It’s not out of weakness, but it’s out of strength.”
How much leverage Trump really has remains to be seen.
The conflict, which the Republican promised would be a brief military operation, has evaded a tidy resolution for months.
Iran preparing for largest state funeral for Khamenei
05:44 , Shweta SharmaIran is preparing for the largest state funeral in the history of the country for late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, months after he was killed in US-Israel strikes.
Iran will hold a six-day, multi-city funeral, including in Iraq, amid tight security and fragile US-Iran talks over Hormuz.
The ceremonies will begin on Saturday with Khamenei’s body lying in state at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla prayer complex.
On Monday, the procession will be held in the streets of Tehran and reach the holy city of Qom on 7 July followed by the cities of Najaf and Karbala in Iraq, the two holiest cities in Shiite Islam.
The body of the leader who was killed on 28 February will return to his home city in Iran’s Mashhad on 9 July.
Authorities are preparing for more than 15 to 20 million mourners who are expected to participate from various parts of the world.
Police have declared a state of high alert for the event as senior officials and representatives from more than 30 countries, including Russia, China, Pakistan, India, Georgia and Cuba, are expected to attend.
Religious leaders from 90 countries will also take part.
Tehran's highways will be turned into temporary parking areas, while mosques, schools, sports halls and universities will be repurposed as emergency accommodation.
Prime minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed earlier this month that he would attend.
Iran protests to UN over Israeli threat against Supreme Leader
05:28 , Shweta SharmaIran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani, has lodged a formal protest over what Tehran says is Israel's latest threat to assassinate Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
In a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the Security Council and the General Assembly, Iravani described remarks by Israeli defence minister Israel Katz as part of a "deliberate and systematic policy of state terrorism" targeting Iran's political leadership.
The letter also accused Israel of carrying out what it called unlawful acts of aggression against Iran, including the killing of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and other senior political and military officials, alleging the operations were conducted with the "participation, coordination, and support" of the United States.
Iravani criticised the UN Security Council for failing to hold Israel accountable, arguing that its inaction had emboldened Israel and normalised what Tehran described as state terrorism.
“Unfortunately, the failure of the Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities under the UN Charter has reinforced the climate of impunity and has made the Israeli regime more brazen in normalising state terrorism, which sets a very dangerous precedent and poses a serious threat to international peace and security.”
Iran war cost American households $1,000 each, economist estimates
05:00 , Josh Marcus
The fighting may have come to a pause, but Americans are still feeling the pain from the Iran war.
The conflict, which paralyzed global oil traffic and sent prices spiking, has cost the typical American household $1,000 each, Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi estimates.
“The true cost is likely higher—meaningfully higher,” he wrote in a recent op-ed in The Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s fair to ask whether it was worth it.”
Qatar says US-Iran talks made 'positive progress', next round after Khamenei funeral
04:59 , Shweta SharmaQatar has said the latest round of indirect talks between the United States and Iran made "positive progress", with both sides agreeing to resume negotiations after the funeral ceremonies for Iran's former Supreme Leader.
It came even as talks ended in a stalemate in Doha without any indication of a breakthrough.
In a post on X, Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari said Qatari and Pakistani mediators held separate meetings with US and Iranian negotiators in Doha on Wednesday.
He said the discussions made "positive progress" on issues related to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding and built on the outcomes of the Lake Lucerne Summit.
Al Ansari added that the parties had agreed to continue negotiations, with the next round to be scheduled "at the earliest possible time" following the funeral processions for Iran's former Supreme Leader.
Iran says Strait of Hormuz is under its control, rejects US military role
04:30 , Shweta SharmaIran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi has asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is "under Iran's command, not Centcom’s", dismissing any suggestion that US-led military efforts can determine security in the strategically vital waterway.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Gharibabadi said a military meeting in Bahrain could not establish a legal or security framework for the Persian Gulf.
"Hormuz is defined under Iran's command, not Centcom. A military summit in Bahrain cannot establish legal order and security for the Persian Gulf," he wrote.
He added that regional security could only be achieved through an end to foreign intervention, the withdrawal of US forces from the region, respect for the sovereignty of regional states, and recognition of what he described as "new geopolitical realities" – "not under the military umbrella of America."
ICYMI: Iran–US held fresh indirect talks in Doha with no breakthrough
04:13 , Shweta SharmaIran and the US have wrapped up a fresh round of indirect talks in Qatar without any indication of a breakthrough, with discussions focused on implementing an interim agreement reached two weeks ago rather than tackling the long-running dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme.
According to sources familiar with the negotiations, delegations spent two days in Doha discussing maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and the unfreezing of Iranian funds – two key elements of the June memorandum that halted the conflict between the two countries.
Qatar's foreign ministry said the talks made "positive progress" on issues related to the interim agreement and were "building on the outcomes" of a previous summit in Switzerland. The ministry added that the next round of negotiations will take place after the funeral ceremonies for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is due to be buried on 9 July.
Speaking in Washington, US president Donald Trump struck an optimistic tone, saying negotiations on possible limits to Iran's nuclear programme were progressing.
"The denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well," Trump told reporters. "They've had very good meetings, and we'll see."
However, sources familiar with the Doha discussions said the nuclear issue was not raised during the latest round, describing the meetings as technical and focused on implementing previously agreed measures.
US vice president JD Vance acknowledged that nuclear negotiations were yet to begin in earnest.
"Obviously, we're worried about the nuclear issue, we're going to start talking about that," he told reporters.
The talks remained indirect, with American and Iranian negotiators meeting separately with Qatari and Pakistani mediators, according to Qatar's foreign ministry.
Notably absent were Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and US special envoy Steve Witkoff, despite earlier White House indications that senior officials would participate. A source familiar with the matter said neither attended the Doha meetings.
Iran's delegation was led by deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi, who confirmed the talks had concluded. Neither Tehran nor Washington indicated whether the latest discussions had narrowed the remaining differences between the two sides.
Trump administration lobbied Saudis over Strait of Hormuz as tensions flared: report
04:00 , Josh MarcusIn May, U.S. leaders embarked on frantic charm offensive to smooth things over with their ally Saudi Arabia, as the Gulf nation barred American forces from using its air space for “Project Freedom,” an effort to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz during the U.S.-Iran cease-fire.
Despite calls from President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the Saudis initially didn’t budge, The New York Times reports, though they later reportedly changed course.
As a result, the planned escort operation was soon scrapped.
For more context, here’s our story about the operation.
Trump paused Project Freedom after Gulf ally ‘suspended US access to airspace’
Drone attack targets Iranian Kurdish group in Iraq
03:58 , Shweta SharmaAn explosive-laden drone targeted a camp belonging to an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in the Koysanjaq district of Iraq, security sources in Iraq said.
The attack in the east of Erbil in Iraq's Kurdistan region caused a fire at the camp.
There was no immediate information on casualties or who was responsible for the attack.
Watch: Tehran says it will not restart peace talks until agreement with Trump is upheld
03:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneChildren were blown up at a busy Iranian school. Trump still claims America wasn’t responsible
02:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIt was the deadliest reported strike in the US -Israeli war against Iran, and most of the victims were children. Yet over four months since a US missile struck an Iranian primary school, there is no final accounting of what happened.
The Trump administration has not directly accepted the blame, though the military possessed evidence almost immediately that the site had been struck, a U.S. official with knowledge of the situation, speaking anonymously to discuss an ongoing investigation. told The Associated Press.
Drawing from interviews with US officials, human rights workers and Iranians in direct contact with rescuers and families of victims, the AP reconstructed the strike and its aftermath to reveal new details of what happened. Most requested anonymity for fear of retribution against them and their sources.
You can read the full story below:
Children were blown up at a busy Iranian school. Trump claims US wasn’t responsible
Container ship ‘runs aground in Strait of Hormuz’
01:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneA foreign container ship has run aground in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state television reported on Wednesday, claiming the vessel failed to follow an approved route.
While identifying it as a foreign container ship, the report provided no further immediate details about the incident.
The Iranian state television report appeared aimed at underlining Tehran's claims to control over the Strait as US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held talks with mediators in Doha, Qatar.
You can read more below:
Container ship ‘runs aground in Strait of Hormuz’
Asian shares trade mixed as worries over Iran-US deal remain
Thursday 2 July 2026 00:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneAsian shares were trading mixed early Wednesday, as uncertainty remained about an initial deal to end the war in Iran and access to the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 added 0.6% to 70,463.72. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.4% to 8,744.50. South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.8% to 8,322.39. The Shanghai Composite edged up 0.1% to 4,099.41. Trading was closed in Hong Kong.
“While oil markets are currently priced for a gradual return to supply normalization, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has yet to recover to prewar levels,” said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
You can read more below:
Asian shares trade mixed as worries over Iran-US deal remain
Watch: Vance says US 'in great position' with Iran war as Tehran says peace talks on hold
Wednesday 1 July 2026 23:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneTrump ‘briefed on options for return to war with Iran as peace process stumbles’
Wednesday 1 July 2026 22:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneDonald Trump is weighing a return to open war with Tehran and met with defense secretary Pete Hegseth and his most senior general to discuss renewing strikes, according to a report.
Sources told the Wall Street Journal that the US president would prefer to continue with diplomatic efforts, believing that further conflict could undermine Washington’s efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.
Trump has told aides he is fine with negotiations for a nuclear deal dragging on past the 18 August deadline as it would give them more time to work with.
You can read the full story below:
Trump ‘briefed on options for return to war with Iran as peace process stumbles’
Iran vow to deliver 'powerful response' to threats against people or leadership
Wednesday 1 July 2026 21:00 , Nicole Wootton-CaneIran will deliver an immediate and powerful response to any threat against its people or leadership, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in an X post on Wednesday.
"POTUS has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv. If they ignore their master, Iran will school them," Araqchi said.
The US and Iran held technical talks in Doha on Wednesday as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire, a source with direct knowledge of the talks and an Iranian official said.
Araqchi's X post was attached to comments made by Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stating that Iran's supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei was "marked for death."
US will not return to combat unless necessary, Vance says
Wednesday 1 July 2026 20:30 , Nicole Wootton-CaneUS Vice President JD Vance has said Washington will not return to full combat with Iran unless there is a “clearly defined purpose” to it.
He added discussions between the US and Iran were going well.
The talks are based on a 14-point interim accord signed last month that was meant to halt the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February and reopen the strait, while setting up 60 days of negotiations for a permanent peace deal.
However, the US and Iran have sparred publicly over the meaning of the interim pact, leading to tit-for-tat military strikes over the past week and leaving little sign of progress on more complex issues, including on Iran's nuclear programme.
Vance said he could not guarantee that Washington would not return to full combat operations ahead of next month's deadline but that for now President Donald Trump had directed officials to make a deal.
"I can't commit to anything, because obviously it depends on what the Iranians are ultimately going to do," he told reporters on a visit to Virginia Beach, Virginia. "What I can commit to is: The president's not going to send our military back in unless he has to, unless there's a clearly defined purpose for it."
One US service member missing after helicopter goes down in Arabian Sea
Wednesday 1 July 2026 20:16 , Nicole Wootton-CaneOne US service member is missing and three others were wounded but in stable condition after their MH-60S Seahawk helicopter made an emergency landing in the Arabian Sea on Wednesday, the US military said, adding there was no indication the crash was caused by hostile action.
"US Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewman still missing. The cause of incident is under investigation," the Navy's 5th Fleet said in a statement, adding that the helicopter was deployed to the region on the USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier.
Helicopter water landings can be dangerous, even for experienced pilots, given the propensity of top-heavy aircraft to flip upside-down during submersion.
