Iran Announces Funeral Plans For Khamenei
Iranian authorities have said farewell ceremonies for the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei will be held in Tehran on July 4-6 and in Qom on July 7, with burial scheduled for July 9 at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, according to the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.
The announcement, issued by Khamenei's office on June 13, repeatedly referred to him as the "martyred leader" and addressed condolences to his successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who assumed Iran's top post following his father's death in an Israeli air strike in February.
The statement said family members killed alongside Khamenei would also be honored during the ceremonies.
Iranian Media Announces More Property Seizures From 'Traitors'
A statement by the judiciary in Iran’s Isfahan Province has announced that the property of 100 people it describes as “traitors” will be confiscated, Iranian media reported.
The statement on June 13 claims the people have been supporting “enemies of Iran,” according to state-run IRIB broadcaster. It added that they were “disrupting” the economy, without providing details.
"The judicial system, alongside the supervisory institutions and the responsible agencies, will fulfill its legal duty and will deal decisively with the disruptors without any compromise," Provincial Chief Justice Hojjatoleslam Asadollah Jafari was quoted as saying.
For several weeks now, the Iranian authorities have announced similar measures against hundreds of people -- part of a wider crackdown that has seen thousands of arrests and dozens of executions of political prisoners.
The Norway-based Iran Human Rights group described it as an “unprecedented surge” on June 1, calling for “firm and effective international action” to stop further executions.
Meanwhile, also on June 13, Iran’s semiofficial Tasnim news agency reported a suspect had been arrested for being “in contact with foreign espionage elements.”
Another part of the crackdown has been the increasing use of a new law introduced following the 12-day war with Israel last year, expanding penalties for alleged espionage.
With reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda
Report: Iran Making It Harder To Access Buried Uranium
Iran has stepped up efforts to secure its stockpile of near bomb-grade uranium by collapsing tunnels and laying explosive mines around access points, according to five sources familiar with US intelligence, CNN reports.
The measures have made it significantly harder to reach around 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium believed to be stored at the Isfahan nuclear complex and other sites.
This further complicates negotiations between the United States and Iran over a deal that would require Tehran to surrender its enriched uranium for destruction and removal.
A senior US administration official said the sides are moving closer to an agreement, though conflicting accounts from Washington and Tehran have left the terms unclear.
Experts warned the new fortifications could hinder verification and removal efforts.
Scott Roecker, former head of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Nuclear Material Removal, told CNN that the developments would “definitely complicate” retrieval of the uranium and could allow Iran to argue that part of the stockpile is “irretrievable.”
The stockpile was previously considered a potential target for a US military operation that was deemed too risky, according to the CNN report.
US President Donald Trump has emphasized the importance of securing the material, saying in May: “We know exactly what’s happening” with the buried uranium and that “nobody’s even gotten close to it.
Even if a deal is reached, removing the uranium could take weeks and require specialist equipment and demining operations.
US, Iran Edge Toward Deal As Region Awaits Breakthrough
WASHINGTON -- After more than three months of conflict that has shaken the Middle East, disrupted energy markets, and heightened concerns about regional stability, the United States and Iran appear to be moving closer to a possible peace agreement.
Amid intensive diplomatic efforts brokered by Pakistan, officials in Washington, Tehran, and Islamabad indicated on June 12 that negotiations on a preliminary Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had made significant progress.
The proposed agreement would focus on immediate de-escalation measures, including reopening the Strait of Hormuz, ending the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, and securing a commitment from Tehran not to develop or acquire nuclear weapons.
If signed, the MoU would open a 60-day period of technical negotiations aimed at addressing broader issues.
Analysts say the apparent progress reflects a shift in Washington’s negotiating strategy, with officials separating immediate security concerns from longer-term disputes.
Read more here
US Downs Iranian Attack Drones, Even As Momentum For Deal Builds
(This item has been updated to reflect CENTCOM confirmation)
US forces have shot down multiple Iranian attack drones flying toward the Strait of Hormuz, in another flare-up of violence even as Washington and Tehran are suggesting a peace deal is imminent.
"Iran launched multiple one-way attack drones in an attempt to strike commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz," US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on June 13.
"US forces have downed all of them in recent hours as traffic flow through the strait continues unimpeded. The international trade corridor remains open for transit," it added.
Earlier, Iranian state media reported that explosions were heard near the port of Sirik and on Qeshm island, but it said the cause of the blasts were not known. Some reports said the blasts were likely warning shots fired by Iranian forces at ships attempting to transit the strait without permission.
It came as a senior US administration official said the US and Iran were “very close” to sealing a deal that would reopen the critical shipping route and dismantle Tehran’s nuclear enrichment infrastructure.
US President Donald Trump on June 12 had expressed frustration with Tehran, threatening further strikes if it did not quickly sign a peace agreement.
A day earlier, a senior US defense official told RFE/RL that the US military shot down two Iranian attack drones in what it called a "self-defense" strike after Tehran's forces had targeted commercial vessels transiting the strait without its permission.
With reporting by Reuters
Indian FM Protests US Shipping Strike In Call With Rubio
India's foreign minister has called his US counterpart in a "strong protest" after US strikes hit three mainly Indian-crewed merchant ships off the coast of Oman, killing three sailors as part of the American blockade of Iranian ports.
The call to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio came after India summoned a senior US diplomat in the Indian capital, New Delhi, for a second time in two days over the incident.
"Spoke to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening," Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said early on June 13 on X.
"I reiterated India's strong protest at the attacks by the US Navy in the Gulf that killed three Indian mariners. Such lethal actions against commercial shipping are not justified."
On June 10, three Indian sailors were killed in a US strike on the Palau-flagged MT near Oman.
On June 11, a Guinea-Bissau-flagged tanker was hit in a US strike. New Delhi said its crew, including 20 Indian sailors, was rescued.
On June 8, a strike on the MT Marivex, another Palau-flagged tanker, forced the evacuation of 24 Indian sailors off the stricken vessel.
The US State Department did not immediately comment on the call between Jaishankar and Rubio. it earlier said it was in "direct contact" with the Indian government on the issue.
Indian sailors represented more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to the country's Shipping Ministry.
With reporting by AFP
France Urges US, Iran To 'Seize Opportunity' And Sign Peace Deal
France's foreign minister urged Washington and Tehran to seize the opportunity to end an untenable situation and sign a tentative peace deal that appears to be close, saying he passed the message on to his Iranian counterpart in a call.
"We call on both sides to seize this opportunity to end a situation that is clearly untenable and only creates losers... that is what I told my Iranian counterpart," Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrothe said told French TV channel LCI.
Barrot said he spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on June 12.
"I am cautious, but the positive signs are accumulating. I feel both sides have a will to reach this deal," Barrot said.
A senior US administration official has said the US and Iran were “very close” to sealing a deal that would reopen a critical shipping route and dismantle Tehran’s nuclear enrichment infrastructure, although some public differences remained between the two sides.
With reporting by Reuters
US Official Says 'High-Stakes' Iran Deal Nearly Finalized
WASHINGTON -- A senior US administration official has said the United States and Iran were “very close” to sealing a deal that would reopen a critical shipping route and dismantle Tehran’s nuclear enrichment infrastructure.
Speaking on background to reporters after a closed-door briefing on June 12, the official outlined what he called a straightforward but “high-stakes” memorandum of understanding, stressing that the agreement remains unsigned but has moved significantly closer to completion.
“We’re not quite at the finish line yet, but we are very close,” the official said, adding that the likelihood of a final signing was around “80 to 85 percent.”
Read more here
Israeli Minister Voices Doubts About Prospective US-Iran Deal
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has voiced concerns about a potential US-Iran agreement to end the Middle East war, saying the deal being pursued by US President Donald Trump was primarily focused on American interests.
In a Telegram post on August 12, Katz said Trump was working toward an agreement with Iran "with American interests in mind," while expressing hope that Washington would uphold the shared objective of preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
He urged the United States to also address Israel's broader security concerns, including Iran's missile program and support for regional armed groups.
Katz said Israel must retain the ability to act independently to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and stressed that its security doctrine seeks "decisive victories, not compromises or concessions."
He added that Israel would maintain its designated security zones in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza.
His comments came as US, Iranian, and Pakistani officials, whose government has been mediating the talks, signaled that negotiations on a peace agreement were nearing completion.
With reporting by dpa
Pakistani PM Says Final Text Of US-Iran Peace Deal Has Been Reached
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Islamabad's mediators believed a final text of an agreement to end the Middle East war had been reached and were working with both sides "to finalize the next steps," despite what he described as an "incessant misinformation campaign being waged by those who want to sabotage the peace deal."
Writing on X on June 12, Sharif added that peace "has never been this close as it is now."
He tagged Trump, US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US envoy Steve Witkoff, Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in the post.
Sharif's comments came shortly after Araqchi said that an agreement with the United States to formally end the Middle East war was close, despite a public dispute over the contents of a proposed deal which prompted US President Donald Trump to accuse Tehran of negotiating in bad faith.
Trump's comments came after Iranian media published what it said were elements of a draft agreement, including Tehran's insistence on retaining the right to enrich uranium and maintain control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump, who said a day earlier that a deal could be signed within days, rejected the Iranian account, saying leaked terms had “NOTHING to do” with what had been agreed and accusing Tehran of issuing a “weak and pathetic statement.”
Senior US administration officials also told RFE/RL that they were "very close" to a deal that would dismantle Tehran's nuclear program, remove and destroy nuclear material, and keep the Strait of Hormuz open.
Araqchi later appeared to echo that optimism, saying on Telegram that the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” -- a tentative deal framework negotiated during talks in Pakistan's capital -- "has never been closer" and urging media outlets to avoid speculation while negotiations are being finalized.
Trump later posted a screenshot of Araqchi's Telegram post on his own Truth Social feed.