Iran-US war latest: Tehran warns Trump and Israel not to attack during Ayatollah’s funeral

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei has called out “performative posturing” by the US and accused it of “complete contempt” for peace.

“The United States has constantly demonstrated its complete contempt for genuine peace and security in West Asia,” he wrote in a post on X on Thursday. He was responding to a post by US Central Command on the country leading regional security dialogue with 12 nations in Bahrain.

“Such gatherings are nothing more than performative posturing, aimed at concealing America’s destabilising policies and lawless behaviour in the region.

“The countries of the region must remain vigilant and draw clear lessons from the most recent US and Israeli military aggressions and malign acts that breached regional peace and security.”

Europe has filled the gaps left by US reductions to the Nato force model, a top Nato military commander told Reuters on Thursday.

President Donald Trump opted to reduce US contributions to the alliance after tensions over his aspirations to acquire Greenland and then complaints over what he perceived as a lack of Nato support in his war with Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz was largely closed for months upending global oil supply routes, with Nato largely taking a backseat in the conflict.

He said that Nato is looking at alternate capabilities with matching effect in areas where European allies do not currently have the capability to replace.

Iran’s ruling clerics are preparing days of mass funeral rites for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a show of public devotion to the Islamic Republic and proof that its revolutionary fervor still burns strong.

Iran’s supreme leader was killed by US and Israeli strikes in their first attack of the war and the funeral events will begin over the weekend in Tehran, with mass processions planned next week in Qom and Mashhad and ceremonies in Iraq.

“The large public turnout at the funeral procession of the martyred leader and the other martyrs will, in effect, be another referendum for the Islamic Republic,” Qom Friday prayer leader Ayatollah Mohammad Saidi declared to state media.

Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, and son of slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will not attend the funeral of his father this weekend, amid security concerns, his representative in India said on Thursday.

He has not been seen in public since reports that he was seriously injured in the deadly US-Israeli attack that killed his father.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz had recently boasted that the leader was “marked for death”. Iran’s foreign minister replied that the execution of such threats would be met with a “powerful response”.

A funeral for Mojtaba Khamenei‘s wife Zahra Hadid was held on Thursday.

Oil 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.

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​Iran 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 ​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.

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.

Iran 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.