War returns to Iran with Israel, US strikes

Lebanese Army Commander General Rudolph Haykal has met British Deputy National Security Adviser for International Affairs Barbara Woodward and a British delegation in Yarzeh, in the presence of UK Ambassador Hamish Cowell, Al Jazeera reports citing the National News Agency (NNA).

The talks focused on the Lebanese army’s role, progress on implementing the framework agreement, and avenues of support for the military amid the challenges facing Lebanon during what officials described as a critical period, NNA adds.

Haykal has also received Pakistani Ambassador Salman Athar and discussions covered Haykal’s recent visit to Pakistan and ways to advance the outcomes of the trip.

Deputy PM and FM Ishaq Dar spoke on the phone today with Saudi FM Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the Foreign Office says.

“The two leaders discussed the regional situation, especially the recent round of mediations in Doha,” it said, adding that both expressed their “satisfaction on the positive progress made during this negotiation and hoped that the discussions would continue in near future”.

The Saudi minister appreciated Pakistan’s “efforts and steadfast commitment to the implementation of the Islamabad MoU and its continued role in advancing dialogue and promoting lasting peace in the region”, the FO said.

Lebanon’s health ministry says at least 4,298 people have been killed and 12,196 wounded by Israeli attacks since March 2, according to Al Jazeera.

Oil prices have fallen nearly 2 per cent to a four-month low as concerns over supply disruptions eased after Qatar said Iran and the US made progress in talks over the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports.

Brent futures are 91 cents, or 1.3pc lower, at $70.66 a barrel as of 1316 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude has fallen by $1.04, or 1.5pc, to $67.54 a barrel.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says a massive public turnout at the funeral of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will serve as a “decisive” response to terrorism, violence and bullying, while demonstrating national unity, state broadcaster Press TV reports.

“Your huge presence is a decisive response to terror, violence, and bullying, and a clear message to the world showing that the Iranian nation stands united and unanimous in defending their independence and dignity,” he says.

Lebanon and Syria have signed an agreement of mutual respect and non-interference in Beirut, AlJazeera reports.

It comes as Prime Minister Nawaf Salam received Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Lebanon’s capital in the presence of delegations from both sides.

The agreement includes “principles of cooperation, including respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity, and territorial integrity of either state, equality between the two parties, and non-interference”, the report states, citing Lebanon’s National News Agency.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun defends negotiations with Israel, saying they are not a betrayal and he will not surrender “a single inch of Lebanon’s territory”, according to the presidency, AFP reports.

Negotiations with Israel are not “treason but a diplomatic war without unnecessary bloodshed”, Aoun says.

The Lebanese president adds that Beirut has decided to engage in talks “to guarantee Israel’s withdrawal from its territory”.

“We will not yield a single inch of Lebanese territory,” Aoun declares.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says the country will not relinquish any territory in the framework agreement with Israel, adding that the principle of sovereignty extends to decisions made by the state.

According to a statement from his office, Aoun says that the framework does not conflict with Lebanese rights and constants, but “seeks to fully guarantee them”.

“The concept of sovereignty includes the state’s sovereignty in its decision-making, which has decided to proceed with negotiations to reclaim its rights and ensure Israel’s withdrawal from its lands, and negotiations are not betrayal, but rather bloodless diplomatic warfare that does not squander lives in vain,” the statement reads, adding that in this context, respecting the principle of sovereignty means respecting the state’s decision.

“We will not relinquish a single inch of Lebanese land, and let judgment be passed on us through implementation, for the goals we have set before our eyes do not differ from the goals of all Lebanese without exception,” Aoun states.

The governor of Tehran has denied rumours that internet services in the city will be shut down during the funeral of the late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Rumours of internet restrictions during the ceremony days are unfounded; rather, [the] communication infrastructure has been significantly reinforced through the deployment of mobile operator sites,” Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian says in comments carried by the Fars news agency.

Syria’s Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani is in Lebanon and has met President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Al Jazeera reports.

The former rebel fighters who now govern Syria fought against Hezbollah for years as it was deployed there to support former President Bashar al-Assad. It would be the first time the two sides meet.

Al-Shaibani says Syria is open to meeting Hezbollah representatives “if interests require ⁠it”, Lebanon’s National News Agency reports.

His visit comes as Damascus insists it does not want to intervene militarily in Lebanon despite pressure from the United States to do so.

According to the semi-official Fars news agency, Iran’s Khatam Al-Anbiya military headquarters has warned the US against operating manned and unmanned aircraft over the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that it will “endanger regional security”.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says the US-sponsored deal with Israel is intended to define the path of negotiations towards a lasting settlement, but is not itself a treaty, Al Jazeera reports.

“The phrase ‘framework agreement’ causes confusion,” local media quotes Salam as saying.

“We are talking about a guiding framework for negotiations to define their path with the aim of reaching an agreement,” he says in an interview with Lebanon’s private broadcaster LBCI.

“We are not enthusiasts for negotiations with Israel, but we reached this stage after two wars that left thousands of victims,” he adds.

Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific has announced that it will resume flights to the Middle East, as the United States and Iran signal that efforts to end the war remain viable, AFP reports.

Cathay suspended flights to Dubai and Riyadh at the end of February after the war broke out. The airline has raised fuel surcharges several times as the conflict has driven up oil prices.

It says it will resume daily passenger flights to Dubai and four-times weekly passenger flights to Riyadh from September 1. Freighter services to Riyadh will resume from August 1.

“Cathay will continue to closely monitor the evolving situation in the Middle East prior to the resumption dates,” the company states.

India says that its deputy foreign minister and a state governor will represent the country at the state funeral of Iran’s former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters reports.

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 civilisational ties, including people-to-people connection, between the two countries, providing a robust foundation to political and economic engagements,” it said.

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says the US-sponsored deal with Israel is intended to define the path of negotiations towards a lasting settlement but is not itself a treaty, Al Jazeera reports.

“The phrase ‘framework agreement’ causes confusion,” local media quoted Salam as saying.

“We are talking about a guiding framework for negotiations to define their path with the aim of reaching an agreement, not an agreement or treaty,” Salam said in an interview with Lebanon’s private broadcaster LBCI.

“We are not enthusiasts for negotiations with Israel, but we reached this stage after two wars that left thousands of victims,” he said, adding that the first offensive caused direct damage exceeding $7 billion, excluding economic losses estimated at around $13bn.

All commercial vessels are obliged to take the Iranian-designated maritime route for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz or face the consequences, Iran’s military headquarters warns according to Al Jazeera.

“Any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a decisive and swift response from the armed forces,” the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters said in a statement.

“The Strait of Hormuz is not the playground of the aggressor America, but rather the territory of the undisputed sovereignty of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The Fars News Agency quoted the statement as saying: “The security and maintenance of the stability of this vital waterway are the red line of the powerful armed forces of Islamic Iran.”

The Khatam al-Anbiya has warned the United States and Israel against any “miscalculation”, saying it will be met with a “harsh” response, according to Al Jazeera.

“We warn the enemies of a strong Iran – especially the United States, the Zionist regime, and their regional accomplices – to avoid any miscalculation… They should think twice about any threat or aggression against our beloved country,” the military headquarters said.

“We declare our full readiness to safeguard the independence, security, and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Iran President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a message ahead of the state funeral of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said: “The martyrdom of our leader is not the end of the road, but the beginning of a new chapter,” Press TV reports.

An Iranian military commander has warned the United States and Israel against any attack on Iran as it prepares for the state funeral of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was assassinated in airstrikes on the first day of the war, Reuters reports.

“We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the US and the Zionist regime (Israel), to avoid any miscalculation and to think about the harsh retaliation our armed forces would make to any threat and aggression against our country, Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, said in a statement carried by state media.

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.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit Iran, starting July 3, for the funeral of the assassinated supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi confirms.

“The prime minister will convey condolences on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan […] while extending solidarity to the brotherly nation in their hour of profound grief,” Andrabi said.

Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, cabinet members and senior officials will accompany the premier on his visit.

Iran says that any US interference in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a “decisive and rapid” response, adding that the continued presence of US air assets across the waterway endangered regional security, Reuters reports, citing state media.

Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which coordinates Iran’s armed forces operations, has 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.

Syria’s foreign minister has travelled to Beirut to meet Lebanese government leaders, in his first visit there since US President Donald Trump raised the possibility of Syrian forces combating Hezbollah in Lebanon, according to Reuters.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, however, has previously denied what he called rumours about any Syrian presence entering Lebanon.

The Syrian minister, Asaad al-Shibani, has met Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on his first stop, and then headed for a meeting with the parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.