Iran readies state funeral for slain Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as US agrees to halt talks for a week

An adviser to Iran's parliamentary speaker vowed "revenge" on Friday as the country held funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted a message on X pledging continued retaliation following Khamenei's death.

"Without doubt, from this day forth in all our lives, we shall have no task but to prepare for the moment of your great vengeance," Mohammadi wrote. "For that hour when we shall descend upon your killers and avenge your loss."

He added that "no nation shall rest" until Khamenei's death had been avenged, telling the slain leader that his "soldiers are in need of your prayers."

The post came as Iranian leaders and foreign dignitaries gathered in Tehran for funeral ceremonies honoring Khamenei, who was killed in a U.S.-Israeli airstrike at the start of the conflict earlier this year.

France and the United Kingdom have reached an agreement with Oman to help restore safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the three countries announced Friday.

In a joint statement, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said they would work with Oman to ensure the Gulf nation's territorial waters remain safe for commercial shipping.

The two leaders also said they stand ready to deploy a broader multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation through the strategic waterway if needed.

"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy," the joint statement said. "Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the Strait is a matter of global concern."

The announcement follows recent diplomatic efforts to stabilize the region after the United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding. Starmer also met with Oman's Sultan Haitham bin Tarik this week, with the two leaders agreeing to continue working together to reassure the shipping industry and support safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

An Iranian lawmaker on Friday described the Strait of Hormuz as one of Tehran's greatest strategic advantages, arguing that the waterway's importance to global energy markets has helped shield the country's oil infrastructure from direct U.S. attacks.

Malek Shariati, a member of Iran's parliamentary energy committee, made the comments in an interview with Khat Energy, where he argued that Washington has deliberately avoided striking Iran's oil facilities.

According to Shariati, the United States has targeted other sectors of Iran's economy in the past, including petrochemical and steel facilities, while steering clear of oil infrastructure to avoid disrupting global energy supplies and escalating the conflict.

Shariati also claimed the U.S. dollar's role in global oil markets gives Iran leverage through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for the world's energy trade.

His comments come as the waterway remains under heightened security following months of U.S.-Iran tensions, with commercial shipping continuing through one of the world's busiest oil transit routes.

Iranian authorities tightened security around the site of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral Friday as preparations continued ahead of the state ceremony in Tehran.

Police established multiple security checkpoints around the complex, while barricades and road closures kept vehicles more than half a mile from the funeral venue, according to reporters on the ground.

Large portraits of Khamenei, black mourning flags and red banners symbolizing martyrdom and vengeance lined the area surrounding the complex as officials prepared for crowds expected to attend the funeral.

Authorities closed nearby roads hours before the scheduled ceremony, with some drivers reportedly caught off guard by the early restrictions.

The funeral comes as Iran continues its political transition following Khamenei's death and as negotiations with the United States remain paused until after the ceremonies conclude.

Gas prices have continued to fall despite the recent conflict with Iran, with oil prices settling around $68 a barrel after spiking during the height of the fighting.

Speaking on Fox News' "America Reports" on Friday, Fox News chief political analyst Brit Hume said the decline in fuel prices could have broader economic and political implications.

"They're down, they're better," Hume said of gas prices, adding that lower fuel costs could benefit consumers heading into next year's midterm elections.

Hume suggested the recent ceasefire and memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran helped ease pressure on global energy markets.

Oil prices had climbed during the conflict amid concerns that fighting could disrupt energy supplies and shipping through the Strait of Hormuz before retreating in recent weeks.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Friday that France will keep its mine-clearing forces deployed in the Persian Gulf even as the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle returns home following recent diplomatic progress between the United States and Iran.

In a post on X, Macron said the June 17 memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran represented "an important step forward for regional stability," particularly because it reaffirmed freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Macron said France was adjusting its military posture after discussions with the Sultan of Oman, announcing that the Charles de Gaulle would return to its home port in Toulon.

He said France's mine countermeasure vessels and their escort would remain in the region and stand ready to support partners if needed to help ensure safe navigation through the strategic waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point for regional security despite the agreement between the United States and Iran, with commercial shipping continuing under heightened security measures.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf took aim at President Donald Trump on Friday after the U.S. president commented on food shortages in Iran, dismissing the criticism as misplaced.

In a post on X, Ghalibaf argued that the United States should address its own challenges with food insecurity before criticizing Iran.

"Imagine having forty-something million of your own citizens on food stamps and calling another nation hungry," Ghalibaf wrote.

He went on to accuse Trump of projecting America's domestic problems onto Iran, writing, "This is not a proclamation. This is a projection. Keep your SNAP advice," a reference to the U.S. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Ghalibaf also said Iran would determine how to use its own resources, ending the post by telling Trump to "mind your malnutrition rates."

One of the leading American institutes devoted to research on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program sounded the alarm this week over the regime's uninspected underground site in the Zagros Mountains. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have not been allowed to visit the secret site, known as Pickaxe Mountain.

The highly secretive facility is casting serious doubt on Iran’s willingness to abide by the terms of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) reached with the Trump administration. The United States, together with Israel, launched Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026, targeting Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

Experts from the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) argue that halting work at Pickaxe Mountain and allowing IAEA inspectors access would be a key good-faith measure to test whether Iran is prepared to abandon its pattern of deception.

Spencer Faragasso, a senior fellow with the group who covers Iran, North Korea , illicit trade, and nuclear issues, wrote on X: "Important update by us at @TheGoodISIS. The ongoing work at Pickaxe Mountain is deeply concerning. This work has continued steadily since at least 2020. In my view, this is a hedge by Iran in case negotiations fail — they will then have a nuclear facility in a late stage of construction. We assessed that Pickaxe is likely large enough to hold an enrichment plant."

Faragasso added, "If Iran is serious about negotiating, it should halt construction at Pickaxe Mountain as a token of good faith. But what can be expected from a regime as brutal and conniving as Iran’s?"

The institute posted a detailed analysis of new satellite imagery from late June 2026 showing continued activity at Pickaxe Mountain.

The institute wrote that "at Pickaxe Mountain, vehicle activity can be seen on the roads leading to the open set of Western tunnel portals, indicating that construction inside the tunnel complex, as well as hardening of the tunnel entrance, are ongoing. The MOU signed between the United States and Iran requires that Iran maintain the status quo, which should prohibit construction at any nuclear-related facility, including Pickaxe Mountain."

This is an excerpt of an article by Fox News Digital's Benjamin Weinthal.

July marks 20 years since the Second Lebanon War, the 34-day conflict between Israel and Hezbollah that reshaped the security landscape along Israel's northern border and continues to influence the region today.

Fox News chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst looked back at the conflict, which began in July 2006 after Hezbollah ambushed an Israeli patrol, killing three soldiers and capturing two others. The attack sparked weeks of fighting that ended with the adoption of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701.

Two decades later, Israeli forces have once again operated in southern Lebanon following Hezbollah's attacks that began after Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel. Yingst noted that during the intervening years, Hezbollah dramatically expanded its arsenal with Iranian funding, weapons and training, becoming Tehran's most powerful regional proxy.

The fighting escalated again this year after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, with Hezbollah resuming rocket and drone attacks against Israel while Israeli forces expanded ground and air operations in southern Lebanon.

Last week, Israel and Lebanon signed a U.S.-backed framework agreement aimed at normalizing relations and disarming Hezbollah, raising fresh questions about the group's future after two decades of conflict.

"Twenty years after the Second Lebanon War, questions remain about the prospects of peace," Yingst said

Japanese companies have begun preliminary talks with Iran about resuming crude oil purchases under a temporary U.S. sanctions waiver, though security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz remain a major hurdle, according to Reuters.

Reuters, citing Iranian and Western sources, reported that three Japanese buyers are exploring potential purchases of Iranian crude for the first time since 2019. The discussions follow a 60-day U.S. sanctions waiver issued last month as part of ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Iranian officials told Reuters any deal would likely require the United States to extend the waiver because of the time needed to ship crude to Japan.

Shipping security also remains a concern after Iran warned vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz must follow its directives, while insurers continue to weigh the risks of operating in the strategic waterway.

Japan halted imports of Iranian oil after the United States tightened sanctions in 2018. China has remained Iran's primary oil customer in recent years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expects to meet with President Donald Trump in the United States "soon" after the two leaders spoke by phone Friday to mark America's 250th Independence Day.

Netanyahu's office said the prime minister congratulated Trump during the call, describing the United States as "a guarantor of global freedom" and praising the close relationship between the two allies.

The Prime Minister's Office said the leaders agreed to hold a meeting in the United States in the near future but did not announce a date or provide additional details about the planned visit.

The call comes as the United States and Israel continue coordinating in the aftermath of their joint military campaign against Iran and as Washington has said nuclear negotiations with Tehran are expected to resume following a weeklong pause during funeral ceremonies for former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Netanyahu last traveled to the United States in February, shortly before U.S. and Israeli forces launched Operation Epic Fury against Iran.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem on Friday to mark America's 250th birthday and deliver a special message to President Donald Trump and the American people.

"As America's celebrates its 250th birthday, I surprised my dear friend @USAmbIsrael Mike Huckabee at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem with a special message to President @realDonaldTrump and the American people," Herzog wrote on X. "Mazal tov to the United States of America!"

Huckabee later quote-posted Herzog's message, calling the visit "a special moment."

"It was a special moment @usembassyjlm when @Isaac_Herzog President of Israel stopped by to wish USA a Happy 250th Birthday & hand deliver a letter to @realDonaldTrump," Huckabee wrote.

The exchange comes as the United States and Israel continue close coordination following the conflict with Iran and as Washington has said nuclear talks with Tehran are expected to resume after a weeklong pause.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz declared Friday that Iran "will not silence us" during a heated exchange at the UN Security Council after Tehran's representative accused council members of spreading falsehoods.

"Iran will not silence us on our own soil. That might work in Tehran, but not in the UN Security Council. We will tell the truth," Waltz wrote in a post on X alongside video of his remarks.

Waltz's comments came after Iran's representative argued the Security Council should not be meeting and accused the U.S., Bahrain and other council members of lying.

"Let me remind you where you are," Waltz said. "This is not Tehran. This is the United States of America. This is the United Nations Security Council. You will not silence this body."

The ambassador then challenged Iran's accusations by displaying what he said were photographs documenting the aftermath of Iranian attacks, including a Bahraini family's home he said was destroyed by an Iranian Shahed drone, damage to the Crowne Plaza hotel and strikes on first responders' headquarters.

"May I ask you, what here is a lie? Who's lying here?" Waltz said. "Are these lies? Are these photographs lies?"

U.S. military aircraft engaged in a mid-air refueling above the Middle East, per a statement released by U.S. Central Command on Friday afternoon.

"A U.S. Air Force HC-130J Combat King II provides fuel for several A-10C attack aircraft. Aerial refueling allows aircraft to operate for extended periods of time," according to the post, which included pictures showing the planes and one of the pilots.

The U.S. Air Force says the HC-130J Combat King II is the only fixed-wing personnel recovery aircraft in its possession.

More than 646,000 Lebanese displaced by fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon have returned home, the International Organization for Migration said.

The organization said in a report on Thursday that "646,107 [internally displaced persons] have begun returning to their communities."

Nearly 500,000 people remain displaced, according to data compiled with the help of the Lebanese Red Cross and Lebanon's Disaster Risk Management Unit.

Lebanon has been intertwined in the war with Iran since nearly the beginning. On March 2, days after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, Hezbollah used southern Lebanon as a base to fire rockets into Israel.

In response, Israel launched airstrikes and invaded southern Lebanon. Lebanese authorities have said the attacks have killed 4,300 people.

Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, who leads Iran's Revolutionary Guard, has made his first public appearance since going into hiding on February 8, weeks before the U.S. and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury.

Vahidi was photographed at the side of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's casket on Thursday, days ahead of the former supreme leader's state funeral.

The photo was released by the Iran's Supreme Leader's office, a position held by Mojtaba Khamenei since the February 28 airstrike that killed his father at his compound in Tehran.

Vahidi, who is believed to be a part of a small group in contact with Mojtaba Khamenei, had strong words for the enemies of Iran in comments that were aired by state media on Friday.

“They must know that the pure blood of our martyred imam will mark another turning point in the victories of beloved Islam across the global arena,” Vahidi told state television, according to the Associated Press. “They will take to their graves the wish to see this nation surrender. This nation will rise higher day by day through this pure blood.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Oil prices rose slightly on Friday, a day after White House National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said he was "bullish" on gasoline prices going down over the summer as the U.S. and Iran continue negotiating.

Brent Crude, the global benchmark, has increased by 1.7% since late Thursday morning, now hovering near the $72 per barrel mark.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the U.S. benchmark, gained by about 1% in the last 24 hours and is trading in the $68 per barrel range.

On Thursday morning, Hassett told reporters outside the White House that much progress has been made on lowering oil prices following the price shock caused by the war in Iran, which began in late February.

"The spot price of oil almost made $150 a barrel; now it’s in the 60s,” he said. "It’s about a 50% drop.”

Hassett predicted drivers could see relief over the next several weeks and said the Trump administration wants to ensure companies are not using market power to keep prices elevated.

According to AAA, the average price for regular gas throughout the country on Friday was $3.82, down modestly from Thursday's $3.83. Still, gas prices have come down about 10% over the last month.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that his country’s sovereignty must be respected as Israel continues fighting Hezbollah, the Iran-backed proxy group, in southern Lebanon.

In a statement reported by Lebanese state media, Aoun said the framework agreement he signed alongside Israel late last month "does not legitimize the continued Israeli occupation of Lebanon, but rather provides for enabling the Lebanese Army to extend its authority over the entire Lebanese territory."

The agreement, which included the United States, explicitly said that Lebanon and Israel now intend to "formally conclude any state of war between them."

However, the document also states that the Lebanese armed forces should only regain control over all its territory "pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of associated infrastructure."

On Tuesday, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said the IDF will remain in Lebanon "as long as the Hezbollah terrorist organization has not been disarmed throughout Lebanon and the safety of the residents of the north has not been guaranteed," according to the Jerusalem Post.

On June 28, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it had destroyed an underground complex controlled by Hezbollah in the south of Lebanon.

The facility "was constructed using technology and expertise provided by the Iranian terror regime," the IDF said. "The tunnel route was 200+ meters long and 25+ meters deep. Inside, the soldiers located hundreds of weapons and 4 launch shafts directed toward Israel."

U.S. Marine combat veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer said during an appearance on "Fox & Friends" on Friday morning that a long term peace deal "is not going to happen overnight," praising President Donald Trump's handling of the conflict so far.

Meyer, who won the Medal of Honor in 2009 for his service in Afghanistan, also stressed that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran will take time.

"This is going to be a journey. This is not going to happen overnight," Meyer said. "At least we have a president in there who's looking to get a deal and not to get a war. I think everything he's doing is incredible."

"Three months ago, Iran was running around, they were boasting that they had nuclear advances and their proxies. Right now, their navy is at the bottom of the ocean. They have three layers of leadership that's gone. They're about to sit here and bury their supreme leader, who had been in there forever and who is one of the most evil men on the planet," he said. "So I think we're moving to a good spot."

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled Iran for 37 years and was killed in an airstrike on February 28 during Operation Epic Fury.

Meyer also claimed the U.S. is controlling the Strait of Hormuz and can shut it down at any time.

On Thursday, Iran warned oil tankers traveling through the narrow waterway must use its approved routes or risk an “immediate and forceful response" from its armed forces.

Former CIA station chief Dan Hoffman joined "Fox & Friends First" on Friday morning to react to Iran's latest warning that oil tankers traveling through the Strait of Hormuz must use its approved routes or risk an “immediate and forceful response from the armed forces."

The full statement , released on Thursday, read: "Any failure to comply, deviation from the designated route, or disregard for the navigation protocols of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz will be met with an immediate and forceful response from the armed forces, endangering the security of the violating vessels."

Hoffman said this is Iran's way of projecting power in the region, even while peace talks are in limbo during Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's funeral.

"They want to enforce some control over their own self-designated sphere of influence. They want to make it clear to the Gulf states and the United States that they can control the Strait of Hormuz going forward - that they will have a role to play in how it's managed," Hoffman said.

At the same time, Hoffman said Iran does not want to close the Strait entirely, given that it is now selling its oil at market price.

"That revenue is important to their regime," he said, adding that he believes Iran's Revolutionary Guard will use that money to reconstitute their ballistic missiles and drones.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf reportedly said Friday the Islamic Republic reached an agreement with Oman regarding traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

The agreement was announced during a meeting with Chinese officials, The Jerusalem Post reported. Ghalibaf said the agreement is based on Article V of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed last month by President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Article V of the MOU says that Iran "will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman, to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz."

In the more immediate term, Iran agreed to make arrangements to allow the safe passage of commercial ships without charging them for 60 days following the signing of the MOU.

Commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has ebbed and flowed over the last few weeks, at times being disrupted by Iranian drone strikes and heightened security concerns.

Iran sent a warning Thursday to the United States and Israel as it prepares for the funeral of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters reported.

"We warn the enemies of Iran, especially the U.S. 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 Friday in Tehran and end July 9 with his burial in his hometown of Mashhad. Additional ceremonies are planned in Qom and Iraq between those dates.

The head of Iran's Civil Aviation Organization also said that temporary airspace restrictions would be in place over several cities, including Tehran and Mashhad.