Live: US and Iran say peace deal reached, signing planned in Geneva
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Iran has announced a series of farewell, funeral and burial ceremonies for Ali Khamenei, according to a statement from the office responsible for preserving and publishing his works, Press TV reported.
Farewell ceremonies are scheduled to take place at Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran on 4 and 5 July, followed by a funeral procession in the capital on 6 July.
Additional funeral processions are planned in Qom on 7 July and in Mashhad on 9 July. Organisers said Khamenei will be buried at the shrine of Imam Reza.
The statement invited “all noble and dear people, the free people of the world, followers of the school of Islam, and those interested in Iran” to attend the ceremonies.
Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich warned that Hezbollah should not “exploit” the current regional situation to launch attacks on northern Israel, in remarks that appeared to reference ongoing diplomatic efforts between the United States and Iran.
“For every shot fired toward our territory, ten buildings will fall in Dahiyeh,” Smotrich said, referring to Beirut’s southern suburbs.
His comments came amid continued tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border and uncertainty over whether a broader US-Iran understanding could include arrangements aimed at reducing hostilities in Lebanon.
Iran has said that it will not abandon its allies and that any understanding regarding the end of the war must include stopping Israel's expansion of territory through its invasion of Lebanon.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon praised Pakistan’s role in mediating between the United States and Iran, expressing optimism that an agreement could soon be reached.
In a post on X, he wrote: “Tonight, irrespective of where we are in the world, we carry the collective hope that peace is imminent with the signing of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.”
Lord Ahmad credited Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts for helping advance the negotiations. “Notwithstanding all the challenges, it was the relentless shuttle diplomacy of Pakistan that has played a crucial role,” he wrote.
His comments came as officials in Washington, Tehran and Islamabad continued to signal progress towards a memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing regional tensions and opening the way for further negotiations.
Tonight, irrespective of where we are in the world , we carry the collective hope that
— The Lord (Tariq)Ahmad of Wimbledon KCMG (@tariqahmadbt) June 13, 2026
that peace is imminent with the signing of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding between the US 🇺🇸 and Iran 🇮🇷- and notwithstanding all the challenges that were faced and the setbacks… https://t.co/bNoFeLDLAg
Israeli officials said a withdrawal from southern Lebanon is “not currently on the table”, according to remarks reported by Yedioth Ahronoth.
The officials said any future withdrawal would be examined gradually and only under specific conditions after an agreement is reached with Beirut.
The comments come as uncertainty looms over the timing and format of a proposed memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran.
Reports earlier pointed to preparations for a possible signing ceremony in Switzerland, but more recent statements have suggested the agreement could instead be signed electronically.
Differences also remain over the contents of the memorandum, including Iran’s nuclear programme, even though many of those topics are expected to be addressed during a separate 60-day negotiating period following the signing of the initial agreement.
Hezbollah released footage it said showed the downing of an Israeli Heron 1 drone over the town of Nahla in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, claiming the aircraft was shot down at an altitude of about seven kilometres.
Al Jazeera reported that Israeli warplanes carried out an air strike on Nabatieh al-Fawqa in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah said it had fired missiles at what it described as concentrations of Israeli soldiers and vehicles in Majdal Zoun, while the Israeli military said it intercepted a projectile launched towards its forces in southern Lebanon.
Israeli media also reported aerial interception activity near Metula in the Upper Galilee region.
A senior US administration official said the lifting of the American blockade on Iran would take place alongside the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to remarks reported by Fox News.
The official said a later phase of the proposed arrangement would focus on mine-clearance operations to ensure the safety of maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.
The official added that Iran would reopen the strait to international shipping without imposing transit fees and expressed confidence in the negotiations, saying, “We believe we have reached a fantastic and very strong agreement with Iran.”
The reported comments come amid continuing efforts by Washington and Tehran to finalise a broader memorandum of understanding covering regional security and economic issues.
Hezbollah said it carried out a drone attack on an Israeli military position in the southern Lebanese border town of Hula, adding that two drones were launched against the site.
The group did not provide details on the outcome of the attack, which it said targeted an Israeli position less than a kilometre from the frontier. The claim followed a series of other attacks announced by Hezbollah in recent days.
The group said it had used drones and rocket barrages against Israeli military sites and troop deployments in southern Lebanon and also claimed to have intercepted Israeli drones on several occasions using surface-to-air missiles.
Activist groups, including the Palestinian Youth Movement and Stop Stolen Land Sales, say they have identified the venue for “The Great Israeli Real Estate Event”, a property exhibition scheduled to take place in London on Sunday.
The groups said the event, whose location had not previously been publicised by organisers, will be held at Edgware United Synagogue and have called for a protest outside the venue.
The announcement comes amid growing political opposition to the event.
Nearly 100 British MPs and members of the House of Lords have signed a letter urging its cancellation, arguing that the promotion of land sales in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank could raise concerns under international law.
MP for Middlesbrough and Thornaby East, Andy McDonald, said the UK government should prevent the event from going ahead, while politicians including Jeremy Corbyn and Zack Polanski have also called for it to be banned.
A MEE investigation previously uncovered evidence of the event's connections to companies involved in illegal settlements.
Lebanon says Israel launched new attacks on the country’s south on Saturday, after the Israeli army issued evacuation warnings for Nabatieh and more than 20 other locations ahead of planned raids.
The strikes came as the US and Iran signalled that they were close to a deal to end the wider Middle East war, with Lebanon also expected to feature in any agreement after Hezbollah entered the conflict in support of Tehran.
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli air attacks hit several areas, especially around the southern city of Nabatieh.
An AFP photojournalist in the area reported hearing explosions near Kfar Remman, which Israel has repeatedly targeted, and seeing smoke rising from Kfar Tebnit, a town not included in the evacuation warnings.
The Lebanese army later said an Israeli drone had severely wounded one of its soldiers on the road between Kfar Remman and Nabatieh. It said the attack followed an earlier attempt to target him as he moved near a hospital close to the city.
NNA also reported that an Israeli strike killed a local official in Rihan, in the southern Jezzine region.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights says it has documented Israeli forces pushing the so-called “Yellow Line” deeper into Gaza City, in what it described as part of Israel’s wider effort to seize more territory in the enclave.
The group said Israeli forces moved the markers in the Tuffah neighbourhood, east of Gaza City, forcing dozens of Palestinians from their homes.
Israeli forces “continue to intensify their policy of destroying the remaining homes and residential blocks in the Gaza Strip while expanding the scope of their military control”, PCHR said in a statement.
The “Yellow Line” refers to the informal boundary Israel has imposed in Gaza as it maintains control over large areas of the territory. Israeli troops have repeatedly opened fire on Palestinians accused of crossing the demarcation.
PCHR said the zone under Israeli control now covers more than 60 percent of the Gaza Strip.
The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has privately compared Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to apartheid-era South Africa, exposing a sharp contrast between her closed-door remarks and her public support for Israel.
Euractiv reported that the EU foreign policy chief made the comparison during confidential talks with Mexican officials in Mexico City, where she travelled from May 20 to 22 as part of a senior EU delegation.
Officials and diplomats, including people present at the meeting, told Euractiv that Kallas spoke about a visit last year to South Africa and its apartheid museum in Johannesburg.
She reportedly linked Israel’s rule over Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to South Africa’s system of racial segregation, which lasted from 1948 until the early 1990s.
Read more: EU foreign policy chief compares Israel to apartheid South Africa: Report
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani has discussed the latest US-Iran negotiations with Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Jarrah Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah.
Qatar’s foreign ministry said the two officials welcomed the progress made so far and expressed hope that Washington and Tehran would soon sign an agreement.
“Both sides affirmed their full support for the ongoing commendable efforts to address all pending issues through dialogue and peaceful means,” the statement said.
An Israeli air attack has killed two Palestinians in the al-Amal neighbourhood of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Several wounded people, including a child, were taken to Nasser Hospital after the strike.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid says the emerging agreement with Iran fails to deliver on any of Israel’s stated war objectives.
In a post on X, Lapid said the deal would leave Tehran’s leadership and military capabilities intact.
"The regime survives, the missile program remains in place, and Iran can rebuild its nuclear program," he wrote.
Lapid blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the outcome, saying the agreement exposed Israel’s dependence on Washington.
"This is a complete failure by Netanyahu, and it turns us into a client state that receives instructions regarding its national security," he added.
Israeli political sources are voicing concern over the emerging US-Iran memorandum of understanding, with fears that the deal could reduce Washington’s leverage over Tehran, Haaretz reports.
The sources worry that any agreement could make it harder to force the removal or dilution of Iran’s enriched uranium.
One source told the Israeli outlet that Israel has had limited influence over the decision-making process.
The source added that it remains unclear how a final deal would address Israel’s wider war aims, including restrictions on Iran’s ballistic missile programme and its ties with Hezbollah.
