Iran prepares for Khamenei's funeral, and warns US against interfering in Hormuz

Israel's military said Friday it had struck several Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon a day earlier in an alleged response to attacks on its troops in the area, as a fragile ceasefire holds.

"The IDF struck approximately 10 Hezbollah infrastructure sites and a truck used to transfer weapons in southern Lebanon," the military claimed in a statement.

The sites were in the areas of the south Lebanon towns of Bint Jbeil, Beit Yahoun, Kounine, and Baraachit, and "were used by Hezbollah to advance attacks against IDF soldiers operating in the Security Zone," the army said.

The military claimed the strikes on the infrastructure sites were carried out following attacks on its soldiers inside the Israeli-declared "security zone", which stretches about 10 kilometres (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory along the border.

The Lebanese state-run news agency reported three Israeli strikes Thursday night, near the town of Baraachit in the Bint Jbeil area, and in Nabatiyeh Al-Fawqa.

The agency also reported two injuries in a strike on the town of Seddiqine near Tyre.

Israel and Lebanon signed a US-sponsored framework agreement last week to pave the way for peace between the two countries and disarm Hezbollah.

Israeli officials have repeatedly ruled out withdrawing troops from southern Lebanon, maintaining that any withdrawal would happen only after Hezbollah has been disarmed across Lebanon.

Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed El Khereiji and his delegation pay their respects to Iran’s late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, Iranian media report.

More than 640,000 displaced people in Lebanon have returned home, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), as clashes between Hezbollah and Israel have wound down following a deal to end the war in the region.

Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks have killed roughly 4,300 people and displaced over one million, particularly from southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.

In a report on Thursday, the IOM said "646,107 IDPs (internally displaced persons) have begun returning to their communities," while about 500,000 other people remain displaced, based on data collected in coordination with local authorities since 22 June.

An agreement signed by Tehran and Washington last month established a ceasefire in Lebanon starting 21 June.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of people have returned to their homes in southern Lebanon and Beirut's southern suburbs.

Lebanese authorities say they have worked to remove informal tent encampments in and around Beirut and reduce the number of official shelters.

But it remains impossible to return to dozens of towns and villages near the southern border, many of which have suffered massive destruction.

Israeli officials, moreover, vow their forces will continue to occupy a "security zone" 10 kilometres (six miles) deep into Lebanese territory, despite the ceasefire.

Afghanistan's foreign minister in the Taliban government paid his respects on Friday at the coffin of Iran's slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran, Iranian state television showed.

Amir Khan Muttaqi's tribute came just hours after that of Ahmad Massoud, the head of a key anti-Taliban group, whose father was backed by Iran in the 1990s.

Britain's crackdown on Palestine solidarity across communities and faiths is eroding free speech and harming democracy, argues Rachel Spence.

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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confirmed, while receiving delegations from the League of Lebanese Universities, the Lebanese Doctors Syndicate, and the Lebanese Maronite Order, that the wording of the framework agreement that was signed with Israel in Washington does not legitimise the survival of the Israeli occupation in Lebanon, but rather stipulates enabling the Lebanese army to extend its control over the entire Lebanese territory.

"Our sovereign decision to separate our path from the Iranian-American path is the problem of some who are accustomed to being under tutelage that controls us, decides for us, and negotiates over us," he said.

"We are a democratic country that respects freedom of opinion, but there are red lines that should not be crossed, such as seeking sedition or overthrowing the government in the street," he added. "Strength does not lie in the ability to wage war or ensure its continuation, but rather in the courage to end it through negotiation, which is a battle without bloodshed."

"No one questions the role of the army, and it will bear its full responsibilities in achieving security and stability in the south, after the withdrawal of Israeli forces," he stressed.

Iran has begun talks to sell oil to Japanese companies.

But prospective buyers are seeking a longer US sanctions waiver and reassurances on safe shipping conditions in the Gulf, three Iranian and Western sources said.

The United States authorised Iranian oil sales in June, easing decades-old sanctions as it ‌pushes for a final peace deal with Tehran in exchange for commitments on nuclear inspections and freedom of navigation through Hormuz.

China has been the main buyer of Iranian oil in recent years after customers in South Korea, Japan, India and Europe halted purchases as sanctions tightened following US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from Iran's nuclear pact in 2018.

The US Treasury Department's current sanctions waiver allows the sale of crude oil and petrochemical and petroleum products ​of Iranian origin through 21 August.

Japan's foreign ministry and the US Treasury did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Israeli army says it attacked Lebanon in yet another violation of the ceasefire agreed with the Lebanese government and the Iran-US MoU. 

In a statement on X, the military claimed it struck what it called “10 Hezbollah infrastructure sites in southern Lebanon”.

The army also claimed it hit a Hezbollah “cell transporting weapons in a truck near the security zone”.

The attacks came in “response” to alleged ceasefire violations by Hezbollah, it claimed. 

The media office of Lebanon's Minister of National Defence, Michel Manasseh, reported that Manasseh arrived in Tehran to represent Lebanon at the official memorial ceremony for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The media office added: "Manasseh was received at Tehran Airport by the Iranian Deputy Minister of Defence for International Affairs, Brigadier General Sayyed Hamzeh Qalandari, the Director of the Middle East Department at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mehdi Shushtari, and the Lebanese Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ahmed Suwaidan."

State TV broadcasts footage of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, alongside parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, paying their respects at the coffin of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, which is on display in Tehran.

Preparations for Khamenei's public funeral, initially delayed at the height of the US-Israeli war, are taking place as Iran and the United States observe a fragile ceasefire after signing a preliminary deal to halt the conflict.

Following the ceremonies in Tehran, Khamenei's body will be taken to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before his burial on 9 July at the shrine of Imam Reza in the northeastern Iranian city of Mashhad, his birthplace.

Britain's Deputy National Security Advisor for International Affairs, Dame Barbara Woodward, concluded her two-day visit to Lebanon, during which she focused on strengthening cooperation with the United Kingdom, supporting regional stability, and affirming the United Kingdom's firm commitment to Lebanon's security and sovereignty.

The talks with Lebanese officials focused on “the United Kingdom’s support for Lebanon’s efforts to extend state authority over its entire territory, strengthen official institutions, and support a political settlement in line with Security Council Resolution 1701,” according to a statement issued by the British Embassy in Beirut.

The statement indicated that Woodward reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s strong support for the government of Lebanon, and welcomed the recent historic decisions, including the announcement of the tripartite framework agreement between Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, considering that “this agreement will be pivotal in advancing progress towards the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and the full deployment of the Lebanese army.”

According to the embassy statement, “The visit highlighted the United Kingdom’s readiness to play its role in supporting this diplomatic path, through humanitarian and development aid and its basic support for the Lebanese Army. So that the Kingdom continues to support the Army, the only legitimate defender of Lebanon, by enabling their sustainable deployment and effective operations through border security infrastructure, training, and equipment.”

Woodward praised the army's efforts to secure the border with Syria, deal with serious challenges in the south, and maintain stability during an extremely difficult period.

“This visit comes at a pivotal moment during which Lebanon and its partners are working towards achieving a sovereign and peaceful future, and the United Kingdom will continue to support diplomatic efforts that achieve lasting peace and security for Lebanon and Israel,” ​​​​​​​She said, noting that “diplomacy is the only path towards a lasting political settlement that leads to Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and the full deployment of the Lebanese army.”

Over one thousand days into Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, time is measured in bombardments, displacements, failed ceasefires, and efforts to survive.

Gaza's neighbourhoods are buried under rubble. Families have been uprooted multiple times. Schools, hospitals, and public institutions have been devastated, and the territory's political future remains uncertain.

Despite months of negotiations mediated by Qatar, Egypt, and the US, efforts to secure a ceasefire have stalled over disagreements on Israeli military withdrawal, Gaza governance, and the fate of Palestinian prisoners.

As Israel's latest genocide surpassed its thousandth day, Gaza's future after the fighting ends is uncertain and stark.

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The United Arab Emirates said on Friday it had thwarted a series of sophisticated cyberattacks targeting the financial sector, state news agency WAM reported.

In a statement regarding the farewell ceremony for the body of the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard warned “enemies” against any mistake and aggression, saying that they “will face a decisive and stronger response than ever before.”

The Revolutionary Guard added that it, along with the rest of the armed forces, is sending “a warning to the enemy front,” declaring that “this readiness is not just a military show, but rather a declaration of the anger of a people who are revolting and avenging all forms of injustice and aggression.”

Seven protesters who blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge in a 2024 protest against Israel's genocide of Gaza were convicted of misdemeanour charges by a San Francisco jury that remained deadlocked on the more serious charge of felony conspiracy.

The jury convicts each of the seven protesters on six misdemeanour counts, including false imprisonment, obstruction of a thoroughfare and unlawful assembly, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins says in a statement on Thursday.

One defendant was also convicted of another misdemeanour charge of refusing to disperse, Jenkins says.

The protesters will be sentenced in August and face up to five years in a county jail.

The seven protesters are named Bhavika Anandpura, River Allen, Rocky Chau, Sara Cantor, Conrad de Jesus, Sarah Ferrell, and Em Tillotson, according to local media.

Israeli forces raided several Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank village of Mukhmas at dawn and kidnapped eight Palestinians.

In a post on X, the Israeli army claimed the Palestinians were detained for "chasing and assaulting" Israeli settlers who had illegally stormed the village a day earlier.

Mukhmas has faced repeated Israeli settler attacks since the illegal Kol Mevaser settlement outpost was established in the area last October.

A nearby Bedouin community was recently forcibly displaced after repeated attacks by Israeli forces.

According to the Israeli press, the District Attorney's Office filed an indictment against 21-year-old Eli Lavon from Jerusalem for espionage on behalf of Iran.

According to the indictment, during late 2025 and early 2026, Lavon made contact with individuals who identified themselves as 'Sina' and 'Alexander,' who were operating on behalf of Iranian intelligence, and carried out tasks for them, such as photographing the central bus station in the capital and documenting a building in the Bukharian Quarter.

Lavon allegedly received money from the agents for the tasks in question.

Israeli drones continue to hover over the Lebanese capital, Beirut, and its southern suburbs. 

During a hearing before the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate, during which he reviewed the features of the Italian military missions scheduled for the year 2026, the Commander of the Italian Joint Operations Command, General Giovanni Maria Iannucci, touched on the Lebanon file, noting that “the United Nations Interim Mission (UNIFIL) may witness a change in its current form by the end of the year.”

He pointed out that "the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, presented three models for developing the international presence in the country," noting that "the Lebanese government considers the continued presence of the United Nations, even in a different form, an important element in supporting the Lebanese Armed Forces and maintaining stability."

He further stressed that "Italy will continue to support any new formula it adopts." 

The CPJ's public methodology, independent research and commitment to evidence are at the heart of its work, writes MENA Regional Director Sara Qudah.

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The chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Ahmad Vahidi, paid his respects in Tehran before the body of Ali Khamenei, his first public appearance since the start of the US-Israeli war, footage broadcast on Friday by Iranian media showed.

Vahidi—who has maintained a low profile since the beginning of the war, probably to avoid being assassinated like his predecessor—laid his hand on the coffin and prayed, a photo shared by the Fars news agency showed.

The New York Times and The Washington Post jointly reported that US officials believed Israel was planning to assassinate Iranian negotiators earlier this year, during talks aimed at ending the fighting between Washington and Tehran.

Officials, speaking to both news outlets on condition of anonymity, said Israel had sought to kill Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the country’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the speaker of Iran’s parliament.

Officials who spoke to The New York Times said the US asked countries in the region t to warn Iran of the risk.

US President Donald Trump says it is "ridiculous" for the United States to continue its "one-sided" relationship with NATO, less than a week before the transatlantic alliance’s summit in Ankara.

Trump writes on his Truth Social platform, “Ridiculous for the U.S.A. to continue along this one-sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal. They were not there for us!!!"

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at European allies over their response to the US-Israeli war on Iran and has questioned US funding for NATO.

The Israeli army announced earlier this morning that a reserve soldier was seriously injured following a close-range clash in southern Lebanon, yesterday, Thursday.

The Israeli force added, in a statement, that the soldier was taken to the hospital to receive treatment, noting that his family had been informed.

Official Iranian media reported that the body of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei arrived at the Imam Khomeini prayer hall in Tehran, in preparation for the funeral and farewell ceremonies set to begin tomorrow.