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Iraq is currently hosting a funeral procession for Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the Iranian Supreme Leader who was killed. On Wednesday, July 8, 2026, Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that Tehran would not permit U.S. interference in the management of the Strait of Hormuz and declared that Iranian armed forces would deliver a "crushing response" after accusing the U.S. military of targeting portions of southern Iran in what it called a "blatant act of aggression." After three commercial vessels were targeted in the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. forces commenced strikes on Iran on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, according to the US military, drastically intensifying a conflict that has already rocked attempts to put an end to the conflict in West Asia. The "powerful" strikes, according to U.S. Central Command, were a reaction to Iranian attacks on ships passing through the crucial canal and would "impose heavy cost...

Iranian state media states that Iran and Qatar have resumed maritime trade; poet Mohammad Rasouli received cries of "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" A performer at the burial for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for the assassination of U.S. President Donald Trump before a throng of hundreds of thousands of people on Sunday (July 5, 2026) in the capital, Tehran. Poet Mohammad Rasouli received cries of "Death to America!" and "Death to Israel!" "Why is the most b*****d man in the world still alive?" Mr. Rasouli questioned the audience, referring to Mr. Trump. That drew cheers. On Sunday, the second day of lengthy funeral ceremonies that have already attracted sizable crowds to pay their final respects in Tehran, prayers were scheduled to be said over the coffin of deceased Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei. U.S. pressure led 13 countries to skip Khamenei's funeral in Iran: reports Iran’s Tasnim ...

BEIJING/TAIPEI, July 4 (Reuters): After a task force off the island's coast last month alarmed several Western capitals, China announced on Saturday that it had established a new coast guard patrol east of Taiwan. Taipei reacted sharply. Beijing considers Taiwan to be its own territory, and the Chinese military conducts operations there virtually every day. However, China has started employing its coast guard to uphold its territorial claims in what Taiwan refers to as "lawfare" in order to justify Chinese activities. According to a statement from China's Coast Guard, the fleet will carry out "law enforcement patrols" in the region and will bolster these operations in what it refers to as China's jurisdictional waters. It further stated that the coast guard will "firmly safeguard China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests." TIWAN CALLS THE NEW MOVE DISRUPTIVE AND ILLEGAL The new patrol was denounced by Taiwan's go...

Before the Grand Mosalla religious complex opened to the public on Saturday morning, hundreds of Islamic Republic supporters had already gathered outside on Friday night. On Saturday, July 4, 2026, Iran started a multi-day burial for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the country's late Supreme Leader, who was killed by an airstrike during the beginning of the conflict. He was eighty-six. At the Grand Mosalla in Tehran, Iran's capital, authorities unveiled the casket holding Khamenei's body in a glass case. Some of the mourners chanted, "Our word is one! Revenge! Revenge!" as they sobbed at what they saw. Some had flags and banners, while Khamenei's picture was displayed on billboards all throughout the city. At Shiite funerals, it is customary for crowds of men to beat their chests rhythmically in sadness. The ceremonies will be closely watched for any indications of Khamenei's son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was appointed Supreme Leader a week after his fa...

Critics claim it could accelerate minorities' forced integration and result in the targeting of critics outside of China. Beijing, however, denies these charges. Rights organizations and foreign officials have cautioned that China's new ethnic unification law may hasten ethnic minorities' forced assimilation. 55 ethnic minority groups, together making up 8.9% of the population of mainland China, are officially recognized by the second most populous country in the world. Beijing also declared that the new rule, which went into effect on Wednesday, might apply to those outside the nation's borders. This has further alarmed human rights organizations, who fear it could be used to target foreign opponents of China. The Chinese government, however, said Western media outlets “misinterpreted” the foreign povision that the country wishes just to exercise its right to resist separatist movements abroad. More information regarding China's new law and its potential effects...

Thursday, July 2, marked the 15th day since Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding and the 125th day since the commencement of the war, as Iran warned the United States and Israel against launching any attack during the state funeral of late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iran's armed forces were ready to react forcefully to any threat or attack, according to Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, who cautioned the US and Israel against any "miscalculation," according to Reuters. Authorities issued the warning as they finalized preparations for the six-day burial festivities, which are anticipated to attract millions of mourners and international dignitaries from dozens of nations. According to Ayatollah Hakim Elahi, the Supreme Leader's envoy in India, Mojtaba Khamenei is unlikely to attend his father's funeral due to increased security concerns. Speaking in a special interview with India Today before depa...