War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi says the participation of over 70 countries in former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral “will remain an everlasting memory in the course of our shared relations”.

In a post in Arabic on X, Araghchi wrote: “Iran is pleased to have received representatives from more than 70 countries who chose to participate in honoring our supreme leader, the martyr, Grand Ayatollah Khamenei, including our loyal Arab brothers among them.

“And this historic commemoration will remain an everlasting memory in the course of our shared relations,” he added.

Araghchi shared pictures of delegations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman and Iraq at the funeral on Friday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty has stressed the need to maintain momentum to fulfil the conditions of the recently signed memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, Al Jazeera reports.

Abdelatty says this is essential to consolidate de-escalation between the two sides, and to ensure regional security and stability.

The Egyptian foreign minister has made the remarks during a meeting with the EU’s commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica, in Cairo.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian says the mourning of the Iranian people was the “best evidence of the greatness, dignity, and strength of the martyred leader of the revolution”, Al Jazeera reports citing the state-run ISNA news agency.

Pezeshkian also notes “the anger of America and Israel over this mourning”.

Moscow is ready to continue its strategic partnership with Iran following the war with the US and Israel, Al Jazeera reports quoting Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman, Dmitry Medvedev.

The former Russian president is speaking in Tehran, where he is leading the Russian delegation at the funeral of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Speaking to the Tasnim news agency, Medvedev says the Strait of Hormuz gave Iran unprecedented leverage during the war.

“It’s Iran’s nuclear weapon,” he is quoted as saying.

US President Donald Trump says he is “shocked” to see Iranians cry at Khamenei’s funeral, according to Al Jazeera.

“I thought people hated him,” Trump reportedly tells Axios.

The US President adds in a phone interview that he could “eliminate everyone” attending the funeral, but “there will be no one left to negotiate” if he goes ahead with his threat.

Trump tells Axios that Iran and the US had decided to take a break from talks until after Khamenei’s funeral.

“Neither side will shoot the other during the funeral proceedings,” he says.

Acting Iranian Defence Minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, says the country will give a “necessary and decisive” response if commitments under the memorandum of understanding with the US are violated, Al Jazeera reports citing Iranian state media.

The ISNA news agency quotes him as saying that Tehran signed the ceasefire at the request of regional countries, despite its distrust of Washington.

India has lifted curbs on suppliers of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after the resumption of supply from the Middle East, Al Jazeera reports citing an Indian government notification.

Emergency government measures were invoked in March to divert gas supplies from non-priority sectors to key consumers because of ‌disruption to LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s ambassador to China says the Chinese and other friendly countries will receive special treatment in the Strait of Hormuz, Al Jazeera reports.

Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli has announced a new arrangement to facilitate China and others in Hormuz “in coordination with Oman”. Part of this arrangement will be the imposition of fees on vessels passing through the strait, according to the ambassador.

“The application of this fee will not contradict the international laws of the sea,” he says

The envoy has made the remarks in a speech at the World Peace Forum held in Beijing.

Representatives from Hezbollah and Hamas have attended the funeral ceremonies of late Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei on Saturday and met with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, AFP reports citing state media.

The Hezbollah delegation, headed by senior official and former minister Mohammed Fneish, included officials and families of killed and wounded members, the group tells Lebanese media.

Hamas, meanwhile, says in a statement that its delegation was led by the head of its political bureau, Mohammed Darwish and includes other bureau members such as Bassem Naim.

US President Donald Trump says Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu knows who is in charge ahead of the latter’s expected visit to the White House, according to Axios.

“We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is,“ Trump has said in a brief phone interview with the outlet, referring to himself.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says it has been a great honour for Pakistan to play the role of a mediator and work towards a truce between the United States and Iran, speaking to Turkiye’s TRT World.

“While it was a very noble undertaking, but at the same time, it is a very difficult and complicated task, and being a mediator, Pakistan being a neighbourly country to Iran, we had to be very honest and sincere with both the parties and very careful so that we don’t take them on the wrong [path],” he says.

“I think so far it has gone very well despite great difficulties, and in that, I’d like to thank all our brotherly and friendly countries, who have really played a very important role, including President [Recep] Tayyip Erdogan of Turkiye. He extended unconditional support to promote this peace process, along with other brotherly countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. Without their support, it would not be possible.”

He adds that the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding has been signed and technical discussions have started, expressing hope that lasting peace will emerge.

“Those talks are continuing and from Pakistan’s side, I must bring on record Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir played one of the most pivotal roles — he was in touch with the Iranian leadership and American leadership,” the premier says.

“He worked through the nights, burning his midnight oil and untiringly, there were moments when it felt like everything would fall through. Mercifully, by the grace of God, he did not lose hope and was consistent.”

PM Shehbaz also praised Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, who “worked diligently and here we are.

“Let’s hope, and pray to God, that things will move now in the right direction,” the premier says.

The Lebanese health ministry has said the death toll from Israeli strikes on the country since March 2 has reached 4,303 killed and 12,202 wounded, according to Al Jazeera.

The exiled former crown prince of Iran has addressed foreign dignitaries who travelled to Tehran to pay their respects to Khamenei, calling him a “deceased dictator” who is not mourned by the people, Al Jazeera reports.

“Iran is mourning more than 40,000 sons and daughters slaughtered on January 8 and 9 by Khamenei, Ghalibaf, and their machinery of repression,” Pahlavi says on X, referring to protests over economic grievances that were violently repressed.

“The regime is spending vast amounts of the Iranian people’s wealth to stage this propaganda spectacle, yet not a single democratic leader attended,” he adds.

“What you see today is not a nation in grief for its ruler. It is a nation filled with righteous anger, and that anger and heroic bravery will bring down what remains of this criminal regime.”

Iran’s foreign ministry has issued a statement saying the nation will seek justice against the US and Israel, and that this will remain an enduring cause, according to Al Jazeera.

It also states that the presence of high-level delegations from the region and around the world attending the farewell ceremonies for the late supreme leader is a clear indication of his stature and the greatness of the Iranian people.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan says Ankara is closely monitoring provocations by the Israeli government “aimed at sabotaging the agreement of the memorandum of understanding” between the US and Iran.

Erdogan says that Tel Aviv has linked its political survival with the continuation of conflicts in the region, and that Israeli forces are also continuing their “inhumane attacks” on the people of Gaza.

“The current war-addicted Israeli government must not be allowed to once again engulf our region in the smell of gunpowder and blood,” he adds. “Turkiye seeks the establishment of an environment in which all the peoples of the region, regardless of their faith, can live in peace and security.

“We are also making every effort to create such an environment. Taking this opportunity, I think it is worth emphasising the following point: no solution that does not derive strength from the contributions of countries in the region can possibly be lasting,” he adds

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed gratitude to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for Ankara’s support during Pakistan’s efforts brokering a peace agreement between the US and Iran.

“I think this is high time when Pakistan, with the great support of my very dear brother President Tayyip Erdogan, has been able to mediate peace between the United States and Iran,” he recalls while delivering an address in Istanbul.

“It wasn’t an easy task; a very uphill task,” the premier says of Islamabad’s mediation efforts.

He adds that “this mission would have been well-nigh impossible” without the “very sincere support” of Turkiye and other brotherly countries.

During a later joint press conference with Erdogan, PM Shehbaz has expressed his deep appreciation for “Turkiye’s strong and steadfast support for Pakistan’s peace efforts in the region that … have culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding”.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has vowed that Iran will not fall, in a message paying tribute to late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“The great nation of Iran, with hearts filled with sorrow and wills strengthened by hope, will prove that the flag for whose continued raising the martyred leader struggled will not be allowed to fall,” he writes.

Iran has expressed gratitude to the Developing 8 (D8) countries for their solidarity during the Middle East war.

In a post by the Iranian government on X, D8 Secretary General Sohail Mahmood met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran while attending the funeral of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Araghchi praised the solidarity of the D-8 Islamic member states in condemning the military attacks against Iran,” it adds.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has urged the United States to stand by his country after the recent US-backed framework deal with Israel, AFP reports.

In a congratulatory message to President Donald Trump marking the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, Aoun has urged Washington to “keep always standing beside Lebanon’s right and just causes, its institutions, army and people”.

Aoun has expressed hope that Lebanon could “turn the page on wars… and open a new page of hope, peace and stability”.

As Washington and Tehran wrangle over terms for peace, the fate of devastated Gaza seems largely out of mind, AFP reports.

“Ever since the United States went to war with Iran, the whole world has forgotten Gaza and its tragedy. We no longer have anyone standing by us,” Palestinian Ahmed Jamali, 53, told AFP from the displacement camp in Gaza where he lives.

“We are weak and oppressed, and Israel is doing whatever it wants: killing, destroying and occupying Gaza, while no one in the world lifts a finger.”

“Gaza is gradually fading from international attention,” said Hugh Lovatt of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

One diplomat involved in negotiations described a widespread belief among governments that “most actors see the issue as insoluble in the short to medium term”.

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The commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says “divine retribution” against the United States and Israel is “not far off”, according to the IRNA state-run news agency.

In a message, IRGC Navy chief Rear Admiral Ali Ozmaei says he and his personnel “pledge to God that, by following the ideals of the martyrs, we will continue the path of the martyred leader of the Ummah with strength and steadfastness”.

“We have firm hope that divine retribution against the terrorist America and the illegitimate Zionist regime (Israel) is not far off,” he adds.

Chairman Senate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, met with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in Tehran, where they discussed Pakistan-Iran relations, parliamentary cooperation, and regional stability.

According to a statement issued by the Senate Secretariat’s Media Directorate, the two leaders held a comprehensive exchange of views on bilateral relations, challenges facing the Muslim Ummah, and the promotion of global peace.

Gilani conveyed heartfelt condolences to the government, parliament, and people of Iran on the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader. He reaffirmed Pakistan’s solidarity with the brotherly nation during this difficult time, saying that “peace, stability, and prosperity are essential for lasting development in the region.”

The Senate Chairman said that “Pakistan and Iran are bound by deep-rooted historical, religious, cultural, and fraternal ties, which should be further strengthened through enhanced cooperation.”

Tehran’s Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamediyan says the entire province will be closed from Saturday to Tuesday due to the funeral, Al Jazeera reports.

Earlier, government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani told local media that the government had declared Tuesday a holiday in Tehran to facilitate the departure of mourners of the “martyred leader” from the city.

Iran’s intelligence ministry has vowed to avenge the martyrdom of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other victims of the US-Israeli war, IRNA reports.

In a statement, the ministry said justice against the perpetrators was the only way to ease the grief of the Iranian people and supporters of freedom worldwide.

It denounced the “American-Zionist enemy” for committing “the greatest criminal act and terrorist conspiracy in contemporary history”.

The ministry added that “the wounded hearts of the brave people of Iran and the freedom-seekers of the world will not be healed except through taking vengeance on the criminals responsible for this crime, and, according to the divine promise, this revenge and punishment will be fulfilled.”