“Down with Israel and down with America” were the most popular chants during the funeral of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei in Tehran. According to the Tehran City Hall, from 5:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on July 4, over 2.2 million people used the Tehran Metro to reach the viewing point for Khamenei’s coffin.
The national anthem of the Islamic Republic of Iran was sung in unison by those gathered at the Imam Khomeini Grand Mosque in Tehran during the funeral procession of the leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. Today, his body will be in Qom, before leaving Iran for the holy Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala on July 8, and returning to Iran in Mashhad for final burial at the Imam Reza Shrine. In Najaf, 351 convoys were registered for the funeral route, and family convoys and the Hussainiyah (ceremonial hall and central place of worship for Shiite Islam) are also active. Over 400 convoys have been prepared in Karbala.
The Iranian Ministry of Communications has begun using balloons to improve cell phone coverage and allow all those present to witness the event, which in the Middle East, West Asia, and East Asia overshadowed the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, to the world through photos and videos.
Delegations from 100 countries worldwide included Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who met with the Hezbollah delegation, Muhammad Ismail Darwish, and other Hamas officials, as well as representatives of the Lebanese Amal movement in Tehran. He also met with the Houthi delegation. The Resistance axis thus enjoyed a front-row seat at Khamenei’s commemoration, much to Israel’s chagrin.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump have agreed to meet soon in the United States. President Trump told Channel 12 that Prime Minister Netanyahu has requested a meeting with him at the White House and that the meeting could take place as early as this week, after his return from the NATO summit. “We’re doing great. You know who’s in charge. And he (Netanyahu) knows who’s in charge, too,” Trump said, referring to himself.
Trump said he was “surprised to see some Iranians crying at the funeral, saying they thought they hated Khamenei. Maybe they’re fake tears,” he said in an interview.
Negotiations between the United States and Iran are suspended until the Ayatollah’s funeral is over.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East will not be sustainable without the support of regional countries and that Israel cannot be allowed to derail the agreement between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. He also added that, in his opinion, the Israeli government is attempting to undermine and weaken the agreement between the United States and Iran.
In the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot, Ronen Bergman writes: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office pressured the Israeli military and intelligence services to sign a document declaring the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, despite initial assessments in Israel, based on intelligence from satellites, drones, and other sources, concluding that the damage was significant but not complete, and certainly not equivalent to destruction.”
Netanyahu, asked live on television to comment on the Ayatollah’s funeral, responded to a question about Lebanon by saying: “The Christian villages in Lebanon, […] some of them have even asked to be annexed by Israel so that we can protect them from Hezbollah.”
Lebanon’s Christian villages responded immediately, denying Netanyahu’s claims. The mayor of the Christian village of Rmeish categorically denied Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked to join Israel. Hanna Al-Amil, mayor of Rmeish, emphasized that Netanyahu’s claim that some Christian communities in southern Lebanon wanted to join Israel to protect themselves from Hezbollah forces was completely unfounded. She called these claims false and reiterated that they have no basis in the reality of southern Lebanon.
Netanyahu also said in the interview: “Iran is a nation of about 90 million people. About 80% of them hate this regime. But there are still several million people who can take to the streets. And of course they shout ‘Death to Trump’ and ‘Death to me!'” The numbers on the streets have contradicted the Israeli Prime Minister.
Marwan Barghouti is running for Palestinian president from Israeli prison, while Hamas has announced the resignation of the Gaza government to make way for a technical commission. All government employees will retain their positions. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, speaking on Hamas’s announcement regarding the dissolution of its governing committee, said: “The plan Hamas is following is a simple maneuver. It is a desire to pave the way for a technocratic government that will assume responsibility for Gaza and refrain from disarming it. The Hamas movement is seeking to implement the Hezbollah model.”
The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, linked to Hezbollah, reports that, after a series of technical talks between Tehran and Washington in Doha, deep differences remain on several issues, from the details for the resumption of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to guarantees for the release of $6 billion, and even the ceasefire in Lebanon.
The Israel Defense Forces estimates that approximately 2,500 Hezbollah fighters are currently deployed along the front facing Israel in southern Lebanon. The army estimates that approximately 1,200 fighters remain south of the Litani River, most concentrated in the northern part of the area, with another 1,300 along the Litani River.
According to Human Rights Watch, an Israeli settlement project has been launched in Syria. The organization announced the launch of an Israeli settlement project on Syrian soil, stating that the project aims to consolidate the permanent presence of Israeli Jewish settlers and their associated economic interests in order to manage the security system and control Syrian areas.
Following the launch of the Israeli settlement project in Syria, dozens of Israeli Jewish settlers entered Syrian territory, amidst the silence of the Syrian government of al-Sharaa. Israeli broadcaster Kan reported that approximately 70 Jewish settlers from the Zionist “Bashan” movement attempted to infiltrate Syrian territory in the Mount Hermon area, causing chaos in the region.
The Yemeni news network Al-Masirah reported the landing of an Iranian plane at Sana’a airport and its departure for Tehran. This is the first Iranian plane to land at Sana’a airport in 15 years. Yemen has been under sanctions for nearly 11 years. Zayf Allah al-Shami, member of the Ansar Allah political bureau in Yemen: “We arrived in Tehran on a special flight as part of a humanitarian operation. In addition to the political and social delegation, we also brought home patients and wounded who were being treated abroad. The strong presence of Yemeni religious, political, and social figures at this event demonstrates the failure of the enemy’s attempts (Saudi Arabia and the United States) to impose a siege and stalemate on Yemen. This trip marks the beginning of a process to continue the flights and break the siege. If our rights are not restored through diplomacy and negotiation, the language of force and weapons will be our last resort.” Yemeni media released a statement: “We are prepared for all scenarios.”
The Iranian Ambassador to China: “We will treat friendly countries with special consideration in the Strait of Hormuz.” Rahmani Fazli stated: “We will certainly have special consideration for China, as China is a friendly country.”
Iranian media are reporting the appointment of Admiral Ali Azmayee as the new commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ navy. A senior adviser to the Iranian leadership, General Yahya Rahim Safavi, stated that Iran and Israel are engaged in a “war for survival,” adding that, in his opinion, Iran will survive while Israel “will disappear.”
Bandar Abbas International Airport resumed operations on July 5 after a four-month hiatus, receiving its first passenger flight from Mashhad. Flights to Tehran, Shiraz, Yazd, and Mashhad will gradually be added to the airport’s schedule.
The Tehran Prosecutor’s Office announced that an indictment has been issued against Reza Pahlavi for multiple national security and terrorism-related offenses, and that the case has been referred to the court. Referring to the scope of the case, the Tehran prosecutor stated that the investigation concerns a series of alleged criminal acts attributed to the defendant in recent years, particularly since January 2024.
And now a look at the ongoing military scenarios in the Middle East and West Asia, updated at 3:30 PM on July 6. On July 2, eleven U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle fighters from the 492nd Fighter Squadron returned to Lakenheath Air Base in the United Kingdom from Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. All eight F-15Es bore various markings for GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) precision-guided bombs, used in combat against Iran. Two F-15Es also bear the markings of AGM-158 Joint Strike Missiles (JASSM) air-launched cruise missiles.
On July 5, eight A-10 Warthog fighters were deployed to King Hussein Air Base in Jordan. These fighters are being used to support ground operations. The Fars news agency cites a military source confirming the departure of at least 11 American aircraft for air-to-air refueling from West Asia.
The Israelis refused to open the Deir Ammar gate to allow a critically ill newborn baby to reach the hospital via the ambulance waiting on the other side. The gate is part of Gaza’s “gated communities.” An Israeli soldier threw a stun grenade at a stationary vehicle carrying Palestinians in the Qalandiya refugee camp in Israeli-controlled Jordan.
Israeli forces storm the West Bank town of Al-Bireh
Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon continued unabated: an Israeli attack on Nabatieh al-Fawqa left three civilians dead. Explosions were also reported in Bint Jbeil. Over 4,000 people were killed, 12,000 were injured, 90,000 homes were destroyed, and one million people were left homeless.
Lebanese media reported that an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Apache helicopter fired five missiles in the last hour at targets in the village of Majdal Zun, in southern Lebanon (the western sector is the village where the IDF carried out an unusual explosion of a major bomb. Hezbollah’s underground infrastructure was destroyed about a week ago.) On July 4, Hezbollah buried 49 of its members in eight different villages in the Jour region of southern Lebanon.
IDF Special Forces identified Hezbollah militants operating on motorcycles in the Al-Aqeida area, near IDF forces. After the detection, the IDF conducted a targeted attack against the group.
Infiltration of Israeli forces was reported in the town of Hadatha. According to Al Mayadeen correspondent: Israeli artillery shelling targeted the town of Qabrikha in the Marjayoun district, Deir Sirian, Braachit, and Bint Jbeil in southern Lebanon.
On July 4, clashes raged between the Druze and the Syrian army in southern Syria.
Iraqi Air Force F-16C fighter jets carried out airstrikes against militants near Kirkuk on July 5.
Also on July 5, a ship was attacked by gunmen northwest of the port of Hudaydah.
Moreover on July 5, Revolutionary Guard vessels diverted six ships from the Omani route in the Strait of Hormuz. Windward reported that two ships changed course, abandoning the so-called “Omani corridor” and heading toward Iran, and four ships returned to the Persian Gulf. Bloomberg reported that eight ships, intending to use the US-supported route, suddenly changed course, some using the Iranian route; this was also confirmed by satellite imagery. Windward claims that these route changes coincide with the presence of IRGC patrol boats and that the IRGC Navy is issuing radio warnings to vessels using a route other than the safe Iranian one.
Fars News Agency reports that the sea route from Deir (Iran) to Al Ruwais (Qatar) has resumed after a five-month suspension. Twelve oil tankers from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, stranded in the Persian Gulf for approximately five months, have been granted permission to pass through Iranian territorial waters and are headed for Japan.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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