Iran Talks Must Include Missiles and Rights Abuse, Says Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the United States is ready to meet Iran this week, but any discussions must address both its missile and nuclear programs as well as its support for regional militias.
“In order for talks to actually lead to something meaningful, they will have to include certain things, and that includes the range of their ballistic missiles, that includes their sponsorship of terrorist organizations across the region, that includes their nuclear program, and that includes the treatment of their own people,” Rubio told reporters on February 4.
Tehran has previously insisted that any negotiations should be confined to its nuclear program, and that it refuses to discuss its missile capabilities or support for regional allies.
Meanwhile, the US news site Axios is reporting that Washington has said it will not agree to Tehran's demands to change the location and format of talks planned for February 6, according to two US officials it spoke to.
Although the US and Iran were reportedly set to meet in Istanbul alongside regional observers, Tehran said it would rather relocate the talks to Oman and keep them bilateral, arguing this would ensure the agenda stays focused on nuclear issues alone.
Khamenei Funeral Prayers Held Without Mojtaba; Other Sons Attend
Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was absent as funeral prayers for his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were held early on July 5, more than four months after he was killed during US-Israeli strikes at the outset of the war in the Middle East.
The prayers were led by Grand Ayatollah Ja'far Sobhani, one of Iran's most senior Shi'ite clerics.
Mojtaba, who has been widely described by Iranian media as an ayatollah and was named supreme leader shortly after his father's death, was absent from the ceremony despite the tradition that each successor leads the funeral prayers for his predecessor -- a role analysts see as reinforcing the legitimacy of the succession.
He has not been seen in public since he was reportedly injured in the same attack that killed his father on February 28, and no known audio or video recordings of him have been released in the intervening months, raising questions about his health and his ability to carry out his duties as supreme leader.
The Iranian authorities are likely to justify his absence from his father's funeral on security grounds. However, the attendance of virtually all of the Islamic republic's senior officials suggested the authorities were confident enough in the security arrangements despite the possibility of an Israeli or US attack.
Those present included the heads of the three branches of government, commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and senior officers of the IRGC's overseas Quds Force, which oversees Iran's foreign military and covert operations.
On July 3, US President Donald Trump said Washington had given Tehran "a week off" for the funeral proceedings before the resumption of indirect negotiations with Iran on implementing a framework peace agreement.
Ali Khamenei's three other sons -- Mostafa, Masud, and Meysam -- all of whom had remained out of public view since the outbreak of the war, were present beside their father's coffin on July 5.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Tehran Says Maritime Trade Between Iran And Qatar Has Resumed
Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on on July 5 that Iran and Qatar have resumed maritime trade after a five-month suspension.
Citing Iran's commercial attache in Doha, IRNA said Qatar's Al Ruwais Port has reopened to Iranian goods.
Citing Iran's commercial attache in Doha, IRNA said Qatar's Al Ruwais Port had reopened to Iranian cargo.
IRNA said the port resumed accepting Iranian cargo "after nearly five months," following what it described as "sustained efforts by the Iranian Embassy in Doha and coordination with the relevant Qatari authorities."
The news agency did not provide figures on the volume of trade or cargo moving along the route.
Qatar was targeted by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps during both the 12-day Iran-Israel war in 2025 and the more recent joint US-Israeli war against Iran, which began in February.
Despite this, Doha later joined Pakistan in facilitating the signing of a framework cease-fire agreement between Iran and the United States.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Khamenei Funeral Underscores Central Asia's Delicate Balancing Act
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon and former Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, still widely regarded as the country's de facto leader, were among the foreign dignitaries attending funeral events for Iran's late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.
But while Iranian state media portrayed the international turnout as evidence of Khamenei's stature abroad, the varying levels of representation from Central Asia told a more nuanced story.
Tajikistan and Turkmenistan sent their most senior leaders, while Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan were represented by parliamentary speakers.
“I think that the difference in the hierarchy of Central Asian states represented at the funeral can be explained by the differences in the relationships that those Central Asian countries have with Iran,” said Temur Umarov, a fellow with the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center who is an expert on China and Central Asia.
Umarov said Tajikistan and Turkmenistan are closer to Iran “not only geographically, but also economically.”
Turkmenistan depends on Iran for connectivity, trade, imports, and access to wider markets, while Tajikistan has closer security ties with Tehran, including cooperation through an intergovernmental military-security committee and a reported Iranian drone production facility in Tajikistan.
For Turkmenistan, that dependence was exposed during the US-Iran war, when disrupted trade and suspended gas-swap arrangements contributed to shortages, rising prices, and inflation.
For Tajikistan, ties with Iran combine a shared Persian linguistic and cultural heritage, economic links, and security cooperation. Tajik is a variety of Persian, and the two countries have long promoted cultural and educational exchanges alongside expanding trade and defense ties.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan appeared to take a more cautious approach.
All three see Iran as a useful gateway to the Persian Gulf and global markets, but none relies on Tehran to the same extent for trade, connectivity, or security.
By sending parliamentary speakers, analysts say this allowed the three countries to acknowledge Iran’s importance without the symbolism of a presidential visit, especially as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have been courting US investment and closer ties with the Trump administration.
The differing levels of representation illustrated a broader regional strategy: maintaining pragmatic relations with Iran while avoiding the appearance of aligning too closely with Tehran in its confrontation with Washington.
Tajik journalist Khursand Khurramov said Rahmon’s attendance showed Dushanbe’s desire to preserve Iran as “an important regional partner,” but not necessarily to embrace Tehran’s foreign policy.
“Rahmon’s participation in the mourning ceremony is a diplomatic gesture and an element of interstate protocol,” he said, “rather than political support for Tehran’s foreign policy course.”
With reporting by RFE/RL’s Tajik Service
Cargo Ship Reports Attack Off Yemen
United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a shipping security monitor, said on July 5 that it had received a report that a cargo vessel was under attack by unknown armed assailants about 30 nautical miles southwest of Yemen's Red Sea port of Al Hudaydah.
The vessel triggered a distress alert, and authorities are investigating. UKMTO advised ships transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.
The incident comes as tensions remain elevated across the region following the US-Israeli war against Iran.
While commercial shipping has resumed through the Strait of Hormuz under a fragile cease-fire, security risks remain high both there and in waters off Yemen, where merchant vessels have faced repeated attacks and attempted boardings in recent days.
Iranian Ambassador Insists 'Service Fees' Will Be Charged For Hormuz Passage
The Iranian ambassador to China insisted that fees would be charged to ships transiting the important Strait of Hormuz, but he indicated "friendly" nations would receive special treatment.
The comments on July 4 are likely to raise the ire of most of the nations that use the crucial waterway to transport oil and gas products.
Washington has insisted that no tolls or fees will be charged to ships transiting the strait despite suggestions by Tehran that it would charge fees for services to ensure safe passage by vessels in the international waterway.
An interim deal reached between the US and Iran to end their war set out that commercial ships would transit the strait free of charge for 60 days, although it remains unclear what would happen after that period.
Speaking at the World Peace Forum in Beijing, Iranian Ambassador Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Tehran was working in "collaboration and cooperation" with Oman on "new arrangements" for the waterway.
"As a country where the Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will definitely charge service fees," Azli said in translated remarks -- insisting that such fees would not be a "toll."
"These new arrangements will be concerning guaranteeing the security of passage through the Straits of Hormuz, supervision of the passage of the vessels...and also guaranteeing and dealing with the environmental consequences of the massive number of ships," he said.
"We will definitely consider special treatment for the countries that were friendly to us and specially stood by us during the hard times," he added.
Prewar, some 20 percent of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies flowed throughl the strait, but the waterway was all but shut down by Iran during the Middle East war, sending energy prices soaring.
With reporting by AFP
Iran Names New Commander Of Revolutionary Guards Navy
Iranian media have published a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy marking the funeral of the Islamic republic's late supreme leader, in which Ali Azmaei has been identified as the force's new commander.
The previous commander of the IRGC Navy was Alireza Tangsiri, whom Israel said was killed in an air strike on March 26 during the recent conflict in the Middle East. Iran's armed forces confirmed his death several days later.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had described Tangsiri as being directly responsible for mine-laying operations and efforts to block the Strait of Hormuz.
The IRGC had not previously announced Azmaei's appointment as commander. He had served as deputy commander of the IRGC Navy under Tangsiri.
In the course of the 40-day US-Israeli war with Iran, dozens of senior political leaders and military commanders of the Islamic republic were killed, including former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Still No Sign Of Supreme Leader As Iran Kicks Off Funeral Rites For Khamenei
- By Kian Sharifi
Iran has begun six days of funeral ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei under heavy security, but the absence of his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, has become one of biggest unanswered questions surrounding the event.
The new supreme leader has not been seen in public since he was reportedly injured in the US-Israeli strikes that killed his father in February.
With state media are portraying the funeral as a demonstration of national unity and resilience after the recent conflict in the Middle East, analysts told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that Mojtaba Khamenei's appearance would carry symbolic weight because, by tradition, the new supreme leader leads prayers for his predecessor, reinforcing the legitimacy of the succession.
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Trump Says Iran Was Given 'A Week Off' Because Of Khamenei Funeral
US President Donald Trump said he had effectively given Iran "a week off" from negotiations because of the funeral ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, the slain leader of the Islamic republic.
Speaking during an event late on July 3 marking the 250th July 4 anniversary of US independence, Trump said: "We knocked the hell out of Iran. They're dying to settle. They want to settle so badly. We gave them a week off for a funeral, because we're nice."
The latest round of indirect talks between Iran and the United States was held in Doha, Qatar, on July 1. Quoting an unnamed Iranian official with knowledge of the the discussions, Reuters reported that the talks were technical in nature.
Also on July 1, Trump expressed satisfaction with the process, saying "the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well" and that "they've had very good meetings." He did not give any further details.
Iranian authorities have organized six days of funeral ceremonies for Khamenei in several cities. It remains unclear, however, whether whether his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared in public since being injured in the strike that killed his father, will attend any of the events.
Iran Begins Dayslong Funeral For Khamenei Amid Tight Security
- By Kian Sharifi
The six-day funeral ceremonies for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has begun in Tehran.
Doors to the Mosalla prayer grounds opened in the early morning, with hundreds of supporters of the Islamic republic waiting to enter.
Security is exceptionally tight around the vast prayer complex. Riot police and other security forces have been deployed throughout the area, roads surrounding the Mosalla were closed hours before the ceremonies began, and reports said authorities had established a no-vehicle zone extending more than one kilometer from the venue.
Coffins containing the bodies of Khamenei and four of his family members killed in the first day of the US-Israeli war against Iran are on display and will remain there until July 6.
Khamenei’s remains will then be taken to the holy city of Qom before being put on display in Baghdad, Karbala, and Najaf in neighboring Iraq. Khamenei will be buried in his home city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran on July 9.
Senior Iranian officials and foreign dignitaries paid their respects on July 3, but Mojtaba Khamenei, the late supreme leader’s second-born son and his successor, did not make an appearance.
The younger Khamenei, the Islamic republic’s third supreme leader, has not been seen in public since he suffered injuries in the same attack that killed his father as well as his wife.
It remains unclear who will pray over Khamenei’s remains in Tehran on July5, but reports in Iran suggest it will not be the new supreme leader but a high-ranking cleric.
In the lead-up to the funeral, Iranian authorities variously described the ceremony as “the most important event of the century” and “the most unique event in human history.”
But Taghi Rahmi, a rights activist and husband of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Narges Mohammadi, told RFE/RL's Radio Farda that the drawn-out affair is designed as a show of the state "still standing" and reasserting itself after the war.
It will also seek to gloss over the thousands of deaths at the hands of the Khamenei regime, which had a long record of executions, mass arrests, torture, prison abuse, and deadly crackdowns on dissent -- including the persecution of women, activists, journalists, and political prisoners.
Oman Agrees With Britain, France To Safeguard Hormuz Shipping
The British and French leaders said the Gulf state of Oman has agreed to work with the two European countries to ensure that the crucial Strait of Hormuz remains open to world shipping.
"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy. Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the strait is a matter of global concern," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said in a joint statement on July 3.
"The Sultanate of Oman has agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to ensure that its sovereign territorial waters are safe for navigation," the statement added.
The important waterway -- through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas transits – was effectively blocked by Iran in response to the US and Israeli air strikes beginning on February 28.
The move, and a subsequent blockade of Iranian ports by US forces, sent global fuel prices soaring.
As part of a now-fragile cease-fire between Iran and the US, the shipping lane has been reopened, although incidents in and around the strait have kept tensions high in the region.
Britain and France have been preparing to launch a coordinated mission to keep the strait free from future blockades, although no specific plans have been announced.
"The United Kingdom and France reaffirm their shared commitment to regional stability, respect for the sovereignty of all states, and their willingness to maintain close cooperation with their partners in order to uphold global security, freedom of navigation and international law," the statement by Starmer and Macron said.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to the move by saying the Strait of Hormuz was "not a stage for displays of military power by extra-regional powers." Claiming that Tehran was "the guarantor of security" in the strait, he said the waterway was "the responsibility of the littoral states."