Russia’s military has claimed control over the eastern Ukrainian city of Kostyantynivka, located in the Donetsk region. The announcement came as Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a military command post to receive updates from senior officers. Putin described the capture as a major strategic success for Russia, emphasizing the city’s importance as a transport and industrial hub in the Donbas area.

According to Russian Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, Kostyantynivka was one of Ukraine’s key defensive positions and part of the Sloviansk–Kramatorsk–Kostyantynivka defense line. He stated that Russian forces had fully taken control of the city in the fifth year of the war. Putin also noted that Ukraine had recently intensified long-range drone and missile attacks targeting Russia’s oil industry, prompting Moscow to consider expanding its border security zones.

Ukraine has not yet commented on Russia’s claim, leaving the situation on the ground unverified by Kyiv.

At least 15 Bangladeshi youths have gone missing after being lured to Russia with promises of construction jobs but instead sold to the Russian army for about 3,000 dollars each. According to the report, 30 men traveled to Russia in May 2026 through a licensed agency, expecting to work for a construction company. Upon arrival, they were sent to a drone company and later forced into military training for the war in Ukraine. Families reported the situation to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare, which contacted the embassy in Moscow. The embassy initially assured that the workers would not be sent to war, but later many became unreachable.

Video evidence obtained by the newspaper shows several of the men wearing Russian army uniforms, with some hospitalized after drone attacks. Families held a protest in Dhaka demanding their rescue. The Bangladeshi ambassador in Moscow said the embassy has repeatedly sought consular access and requested that Bangladesh be listed among countries barred from joining the war. The expatriates’ welfare minister confirmed that three agencies were suspended and that possible negligence by embassy officials is under review.

Migration experts have called for a deeper investigation into the incident and urged stricter oversight of labor recruitment to Russia.

Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Walid Al-Khuraiji made an unannounced visit to Tehran to attend the funeral of former Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Leading a high-level delegation, Al-Khuraiji paid respects on behalf of Saudi Arabia, marking a rare gesture amid strained relations between the two regional powers.

The participation of the Saudi delegation drew significant international attention, as relations between Riyadh and Tehran had recently become tense. In March, Iran had carried out multiple attacks on U.S. bases located in Saudi Arabia, prompting strong condemnation from Riyadh. At that time, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud urged Iran to reconsider its strategy and warned that Gulf states had limited tolerance for such actions.

Analysts cited in the report suggested that the Saudi delegation’s unexpected presence at Khamenei’s funeral could signal a new message in the evolving geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East.

Israel has denied reports that it planned to assassinate Iranian officials Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Abbas Araghchi during peace talks. The Prime Minister’s Office in Tel Aviv issued a statement on Friday rejecting the allegations as completely baseless and false. It described reports published by The New York Times as fake news and a total distortion of reality.

According to The New York Times, citing current and former U.S. officials, American intelligence believed Israel had considered targeting Iranian negotiators earlier this year during efforts to ease tensions between the United States and Iran. Other U.S. media outlets reported that Israel’s wartime strategy included targeting Iran’s top political and military leadership, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and former National Security Council head Ali Larijani.

The Wall Street Journal reported in March that Ghalibaf and Araghchi were on Israel’s potential target list but were temporarily removed after U.S. requests when ceasefire talks resumed. Al Jazeera and The New York Times also reported that Ghalibaf narrowly survived attacks during conflicts in 2025 and this year.

On July 3, the Gaza conflict reached its 1,000th day since the outbreak of what has been described as a genocidal war. According to a report by Middle East Monitor, despite Israel’s overwhelming military superiority, it has failed to achieve its main political objectives. The prolonged fighting has caused massive destruction across Gaza and resulted in thousands of deaths, yet the Palestinian issue remains prominent in global discourse, with resistance movements still active.

The report notes that since 1948, Israel has sought to resolve conflicts through military dominance, assuming that its superior force could permanently suppress Palestinian nationalism. However, after 1,000 days of warfare, that expectation has not materialized. The devastation has not erased Palestinian identity or their aspiration for self-determination, underscoring that military victories cannot secure strategic political outcomes.

The conflict has also raised questions about Israel’s long-standing security doctrine, which equated technological and military superiority with regional stability. Growing international criticism and legal actions against Israel’s conduct have intensified, even as some allies continue their support. The first 1,000 days of war demonstrate that occupation can destroy cities but not a people’s identity or historical memory.

Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be buried alongside four of his family members during state funeral ceremonies that began on July 3, according to an Al Jazeera report. The funeral and burial proceedings started the previous night, with large-scale mourning processions planned. Diplomats and representatives from nearly 100 countries are expected to attend the events.

The report stated that several of Khamenei’s relatives, including his daughter, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and a three-year-old granddaughter, were killed in a joint U.S.-Israel airstrike on February 28 and will be buried with him. Iran’s Foreign Ministry announced that European countries which supported the U.S.-Israel military operation were not invited to the state funeral.

The national mourning will continue for several days, with memorial services beginning tomorrow. The funeral procession will pass through Iraq’s Najaf and Karbala before concluding in Mashhad, Khamenei’s birthplace, where the final burial and remembrance ceremonies will take place.

Saudi Arabia formally paid tribute to Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, July 3, 2026. A high-level Saudi delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Walid El Khuraiji attended the ceremony in Tehran to offer condolences. According to international media reports, Qatar, Iraq, Yemen, Oman, and Lebanon also officially expressed their respects to Khamenei.

However, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates had not paid tribute as of the latest reports. The source noted that during recent Iran–United States tensions, U.S. military bases in those three countries experienced the highest number of Iranian attacks.

Despite a long history of diplomatic tension and rivalry, the Saudi delegation’s presence in Tehran is being viewed as a significant diplomatic gesture in Middle Eastern politics.

Iran and Oman have finalized a joint mechanism to manage navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. He stated that the arrangement will proceed without any role for the United States. The agreement, based on Article 5 of the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding, has now entered the implementation stage, with Tehran coordinating with other Gulf countries along the strait’s coast.

Ghalibaf accused Israel of attempting to undermine the agreement but expressed confidence that Iran’s regional defense capabilities are sufficient to prevent any new conflict. On the same day, Iran’s acting defense minister, Majid Ibn al-Reza, warned that any violation of the ceasefire would prompt an immediate and necessary response from Iran.

He further cautioned external powers not to exploit the situation in the region through the Strait of Hormuz, emphasizing that Iran would take appropriate measures if ceasefire conditions were breached.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif paid tribute at the coffin of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to footage aired by Iran’s state television. The ceremony took place during Sharif’s visit to Tehran, where he was accompanied by Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir and a high-level delegation. The group collectively laid flowers on the coffin as a mark of respect.

The visit comes as Pakistan continues to act as a mediator between the United States and Iran, aiming to help end their long-standing tensions. Islamabad has been maintaining secret diplomatic communications between the two sides, organizing bilateral meetings, and balancing its relations with Gulf countries while facilitating a transit route for Iran. The trip underscores Pakistan’s ongoing diplomatic engagement in regional stability efforts.

The participation of both civilian and military leadership in the tribute highlights Pakistan’s unified approach to its regional diplomacy and its interest in maintaining constructive ties with Tehran.

World leaders and foreign representatives attended the funeral of Iran’s former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Friday, July 3, 2026, in Tehran. Despite the global presence, no representatives from Saudi Arabia or other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries were reported to have joined the ceremony. The event marked the beginning of a weeklong state mourning program in Iran, with the first day reserved for foreign dignitaries and officials.

Saudi-based media noted that Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister had attended the funeral of former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi about 14 months earlier, but Riyadh has not sent any delegation this time. Similarly, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain have remained absent. Analysts view this as a reflection of Gulf states’ cautious stance regarding Iran’s leadership transition, particularly over the possible succession of Khamenei’s son, Mojtaba Khamenei.

The absence of GCC representatives contrasts sharply with their participation in Raisi’s 2024 funeral, suggesting a coordinated diplomatic posture. However, no official GCC statement or joint discussion on the matter has been made public so far.

After more than 100 hours of rescue operations, Venezuelan man Hernan Alberto Gil Flores was pulled alive from the rubble following two powerful earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24. The quakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, caused widespread destruction and killed more than 2,500 people. Gil had been trapped for eight days beneath 140 tons of concrete debris from a collapsed multistory shopping mall where he worked as a security guard.

Rescue team member Minyar Collado from Costa Rica said Gil repeatedly asked rescuers not to inform his wife that he was alive, explaining that he was uncertain how long he would survive. Despite his request, news of his survival reached his wife, Gusbiman Gonzalez. Gil described his ordeal, saying he had feared rescuers would never find him and credited divine mercy for his survival.

Authorities continue searching for survivors under the debris as the country grapples with the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes.

Pakistan’s Army Chief Asim Munir arrived in Tehran on Friday to attend the funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to Al Jazeera. Upon arrival, he was received by Iran’s Defense Minister Seyed Majid Ibn Reza, the Interior Minister, and senior civilian and military officials. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also departed from Islamabad for a one-day visit to Iran to participate in the funeral rites.

The formal funeral proceedings for Khamenei are scheduled to begin in Tehran on July 4, followed by mourning ceremonies in Qom and Iraq. The burial is planned for July 9 in Mashhad, his birthplace. The events mark a significant moment in Iran’s political and religious landscape, drawing participation from regional leaders.

The attendance of Pakistan’s top civil and military leadership underscores the close diplomatic and religious ties between the two neighboring countries, as both nations observe the passing of Iran’s long-serving leader.

Three Israeli soldiers were injured, one critically, during a military operation in Bint Jbeil, southern Lebanon, according to reports published on Friday by Lebanon-based outlet Al Mayadeen. The Israeli army stated that the incident occurred when a unit from the 679th Brigade entered a building and came under fire from an armed fighter. Following the clash, Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike on the building and conducted a search operation, but the fighter’s location remained unconfirmed.

Despite a ceasefire framework brokered by the United States and regional understandings, Israeli forces have continued operations in parts of southern Lebanon. Earlier in the week, two Israeli reserve soldiers were injured, one seriously, in an explosive attack targeting a field command post in Aita al-Shaab. A day before that, a Hezbollah fighter’s assault in Deir Siryan killed an Israeli captain and wounded another soldier.

According to Israel’s Channel 12, between April 17 and June 20, 2026, Israeli forces carried out 637 military operations in Lebanon, including 440 inside the so-called “Yellow Line” and 187 in occupied Palestinian territories.

Israel has claimed responsibility for killing a Hamas commander named Muhammad Naim Zandia in an airstrike in Gaza. According to the Israeli military, Zandia served as the head of military security for Hamas’s Shuja'iyya Battalion. The army announced on Telegram that the operation took place on Wednesday.

The Israeli military further alleged that Zandia had been involved in the October 7, 2023 attack, during which he reportedly kidnapped three Israelis and held them in an underground tunnel. The army stated that Israeli forces later mistakenly shot and killed those captives, believing them to be Palestinians. Hamas has not issued any comment regarding Zandia’s reported killing.

The report was sourced from Al Jazeera, and no independent confirmation or further details were provided in the source text.

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez announced on Thursday that the death toll from two powerful earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 2,295, with 12,400 people injured. She said the figures were verified through a rigorous process, noting that five individuals initially listed as dead were later found alive through fingerprint-based identification used in the country’s subsidized fuel system.

Rodríguez stated that the government is in talks with the U.S. State Department and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure funds for rebuilding damaged infrastructure. Discussions are also underway with the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), both of which have offered grants and loan assistance. According to official data, at least 855 buildings were damaged, and the government has allocated an initial 200 million U.S. dollars for reconstruction. A special fund has been opened with the Latin American and Caribbean Development Bank (CAF) to receive international donations.

An Israeli expert team has arrived to assist in assessing structural damage, while the UNDP estimated total losses at around 6.7 billion dollars. The UNHCR reported that about 16,000 people have been displaced by the disaster.