Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s body is being transported from Najaf, Iraq, to Mashhad, Iran, for burial near the shrine of Imam Reza. This marks the final stage of six days of farewell ceremonies that began in Iraq. Prior to the transfer, mourners in Najaf and Karbala paid their last respects to the late Iranian leader.

According to Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, head of Khamenei’s office, Khamenei had requested to be buried near the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad. Reports from Press TV indicate that more than four million people joined the mourning procession in Karbala, while approximately 3.8 million attended the farewell in Najaf.

The burial in Mashhad concludes a week of large-scale mourning events across Iraq and Iran, reflecting the deep public reverence surrounding Khamenei’s passing.

Iranian authorities announced the suspension of passenger train services on the Tehran-Mashhad route after a section of the railway was damaged in a United States strike. The Islamic Republic of Iran Railways said technical teams have been dispatched to the affected site, where repair work is underway. Officials added that efforts are being made to resume the route as quickly as possible and that stranded passengers are being transported to Mashhad by road.

The incident occurred as Iran prepared for the burial of its late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) accused the United States of launching renewed attacks to overshadow Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies. According to the IRGC, the strikes also targeted several bridges on the road leading to Mashhad.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, indicates that the situation has heightened tensions in the region, with Iran focusing on restoring transport links and ensuring the continuation of funeral proceedings.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presented each head of state and government attending the NATO summit in Ankara with a personalized revolver loaded with live bullets. Each firearm bore the recipient leader’s name engraved on it. However, the revolver inscribed with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s name was not taken to Britain and remains with British officials in Turkey. Officials said the weapon will be deactivated before being sent to the UK to ensure it cannot fire live ammunition.

Erdogan reportedly relaxed Turkey’s export control laws to allow the gifts, though importing live firearms without authorization is illegal in the UK. Downing Street did not release any images of the revolver. During the summit, Prime Minister Starmer and President Erdogan signed a defense agreement aimed at improving intelligence sharing between the two countries.

In a post-summit statement, Starmer said NATO had emerged stronger and more united, emphasizing the importance of alliance unity amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. This was Starmer’s final major international summit following his recent resignation announcement.

Iran’s Health Ministry announced that at least 14 people were killed and 78 injured in United States airstrikes over the past two days. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed it had targeted more than 90 sites across Iran. Iranian media reported explosions and attacks in southern coastal cities and the northern Golestan province along the Caspian Sea.

On Wednesday night, explosions and power outages occurred at Chabahar port, damaging a hospital, two jetties, and a maritime control tower. A firefighter was killed in a strike on Iranshahr airport, which also damaged the operations building and weather center. Explosions were also reported in Bushehr, where Iran’s UN ambassador said several facilities and Persian Gulf islands were hit. Additional attacks were reported near Bandar Abbas, Abu Musa Island, Sirik, Jask, and Konarak.

In northern Iran, a railway bridge in Aqqala was struck, while in Khuzestan province’s Ahvaz area, three people were killed and several injured. Earlier strikes in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr had killed eight members of Iran’s air and naval forces, according to local officials.

US Vice President JD Vance has issued a direct warning that the United States will launch military action if Iran attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking at a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Vance said that any such move by Iran would trigger a firm response from US forces. He described this as the final position of the US government.

Vance referred to an earlier understanding between the two sides, explaining that the agreement required Iran to stop attacking ships in exchange for the lifting of US blockades. However, he stated that continued attacks on vessels would invite retaliatory strikes. Pointing to an incident that occurred the previous night, Vance cautioned Iran that it could either comply with the rules or face similar consequences.

He further emphasized that US measures would continue as long as Iran failed to keep the shipping route open and persisted in attacking ships, underscoring Washington’s readiness to maintain pressure until maritime security is restored.

U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a renewed warning to Iran, declaring that any Iranian attack on ships in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with a response twenty times stronger. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday night, Trump said this would now be the rule: for every Iranian strike, the United States would retaliate with twenty times greater force.

Trump dismissed the idea of diplomatic talks with Iran, calling them a waste of time and expressing doubt about Iran’s ability to honor any agreement. He claimed that the United States had already won the war against Iran and asserted that Iran had little left. According to Trump, Iran wants a deal but behaves irrationally and appears out of control.

When asked whether the United States was heading toward a full-scale military conflict with Iran, Trump said he did not know but insisted that the U.S. had many ways to win and had already achieved military victory.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has accused the United States of launching new attacks aimed at overshadowing the final farewell ceremony of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to the IRGC, US forces struck several bridges along the road to Mashhad, where Khamenei is scheduled to be buried on Thursday. The group stated that the attacks targeted bridges in southern coastal provinces and two bridges in eastern provinces leading to the holy city of Mashhad.

In a statement, the IRGC said Iran retaliated by striking targets in Bahrain and Kuwait. The force warned that if the United States carries out further attacks, Iran will launch severe retaliatory strikes on other American bases in the region. Earlier, Iranian state media IRIB reported that US forces fired seven missiles at the Ak Tekhe Khan bridge outside the city of Akkala.

The IRGC described the US actions as an attempt to diminish the significance of what it called a “historic” farewell ceremony for Khamenei.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has warned the United States that the management of maritime navigation in the Strait of Hormuz will be determined by Tehran, not by Washington’s threats. In a post on social media platform X, Ghalibaf stated that the era of escaping consequences after breaking promises is over and cautioned that any attack would be met with a counterattack.

He further urged the United States not to exert pressure regarding the strategic waterway, emphasizing that decisions about its operation will follow Iranian regulations. Addressing former U.S. President Donald Trump, Ghalibaf said that unnecessary displays of power would only worsen America’s situation.

The remarks, reported by Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye, underline Iran’s firm stance on controlling the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route, amid ongoing tensions with the United States.

The United States military has announced that it carried out strikes on 90 targets inside Iran in a new phase of operations. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the attacks were conducted in response to Iranian assaults on commercial ships and civilian sailors in the Strait of Hormuz.

CENTCOM stated that the strikes targeted Iranian military assets along the coast, including air defense systems, coastal surveillance equipment, missile and drone storage facilities, naval capabilities, and logistical infrastructure. The operation marks an escalation following an earlier US strike on more than 80 Iranian targets earlier in the week.

The report, citing Al Jazeera, indicates that the US action is part of a continuing military response to maritime threats in the region, though further details on casualties or damage were not provided.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on US military bases located in Kuwait and Bahrain. According to a statement broadcast on Iran’s state media IRIB, the IRGC said the strikes were part of a ‘punitive response’ to recent US attacks. The targeted sites reportedly included Camp Arifjan and Ali Al Salem bases in Kuwait, as well as Juffair and Sheikh Isa bases in Bahrain.

The report added that the US assault in southern Iran killed eight Iranian soldiers, identified as members of the country’s air and naval forces, in Bandar Abbas and Bushehr. The incident occurred early Wednesday, following threats from US President Donald Trump. Iran’s senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, warned that the United States would face an appropriate response for its ‘recklessness’ and accused Washington of destabilizing the Gulf region.

The exchange of attacks marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Tehran and Washington, raising concerns about renewed instability across the Gulf region.

At least 96 people, including 42 members of Pakistan’s security forces, were killed in four days of armed clashes in the southwestern province of Balochistan, according to the country’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The military’s media wing reported that the violence began on July 6 and involved three major attacks by separatist militants. Security forces responded with operations that left 54 militants dead.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, ISPR’s Director General, said the attacks were carried out by India-backed groups, including one called Fitna al-Khawarij. The first assault occurred in Hanna Urak, where four civilians were killed. A second attack on July 6 targeted a police checkpoint near Mangi Dam, killing nine officers and 15 militants. Subsequent fighting in Ziarat’s mountainous area left 18 police officers and 11 militants dead.

Chaudhry vowed that Pakistan would continue operations against all militant groups in Balochistan, asserting that the army, police, and citizens remain united in combating terrorism.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has voiced strong opposition to a possible U.S. sale of advanced F-35 fighter jets to Turkey. His comments came shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was considering the sale. In an interview with CNN, Netanyahu said that selling the United States’ most advanced fighter aircraft to Turkey would be a mistake, arguing that Turkey’s current government is influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood, which he claimed harbors hostility toward the U.S.

Trump had met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara during a NATO summit and said he would soon decide whether to proceed with the sale of Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets to Turkey. Netanyahu told CNN that he had directly urged Trump not to approve the sale, warning that Turkey could become more aggressive if it obtained the aircraft.

Netanyahu added that he and Trump share broad agreement on major issues, emphasizing that both leaders act in the best interests of their respective nations, which he said often align closely.

The United States has launched a broader military operation against Iran, accusing Tehran of attacking commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. According to US officials, the latest strikes are larger in scale than those conducted on Tuesday and could escalate the situation further. President, Vice President JD Vance, and senior administration officials said Iran violated a memorandum of understanding that required it to halt such attacks in exchange for the lifting of US sanctions.

JD Vance stated that Iran initially complied with the agreement for about a week before resuming attacks on commercial ships. US officials warned that military action would continue unless Iran adheres to the deal’s terms. They confirmed that diplomatic channels remain open but are currently very limited. The President signaled support for a diplomatic solution but delegated negotiation duties to his envoys and Vice President Vance.

US sources said the latest strikes targeted Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps coastal radar, anti-ship missiles, and air defense systems to ensure safe international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has not yet issued an official response, and battlefield conditions could not be independently verified.

The United States military launched large-scale airstrikes in Iran for a second consecutive night, targeting Iranian military capabilities that Washington says threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The operation, ordered directly by President Donald Trump, was confirmed by US Central Command as part of efforts to secure commercial shipping routes. Trump stated that the strikes were a response to an earlier Iranian bombing of a commercial vessel and warned that any further attacks would trigger harsher retaliation.

US Vice President JD Vance also warned Iran that any attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz would be met with a strong military response. Iranian state media reported multiple explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and near Jask, as well as power outages in Chabahar, suggesting an expanded strike range. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps confirmed a US cruise missile attack on a bridge in Golestan province but reported no casualties.

Iranian officials condemned the attacks as a violation of bilateral agreements and vowed a “crushing” response. The escalating confrontation has raised fears of a broader regional conflict in the Middle East.

Iran’s state television reported that at least eight explosions were heard in the key port city of Bandar Abbas. According to a correspondent cited by the broadcaster, two missiles struck the Sirik port, while two additional explosions occurred near the Jask port. The report was also carried by Al Jazeera.

No immediate information was available regarding casualties or damage resulting from the blasts. Authorities have not released any official details about the source of the attacks or the parties responsible. The situation remains under observation as officials await further clarification.

Further updates from Iranian authorities are expected as investigations continue into the cause and impact of the explosions.