New Delhi, July 4: Funeral ceremonies for Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, commenced in Tehran drawing senior Iranian officials, foreign dignitaries and high-level delegations from across the world. The solemn proceedings were marked by emotional scenes, with Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi breaking down in tears during the farewell ceremony.

According to Iran’s Fars News Agency, Tehran Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said elaborate security arrangements had been put in place to ensure the smooth conduct of the ceremonies.

“We will have the highest level of security and safety at the farewell and send-off ceremony for the martyred Leader,” he said.

He added that the gates of Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Prayer Grounds would open at 6 A.M. local time, urging mourners to plan their arrival accordingly. Authorities also indicated that the opening time could be advanced if circumstances required.

Fars News further reported that Baghdad authorities announced a shutdown of the city to facilitate funeral processions linked to the late Iranian leader. The decision was announced by Baghdad Governor Atwan Al-Atwani.

India was represented at the funeral ceremony on Friday by Minister of State for External Affairs (MoS) Pabitra Margherita and Bihar Governor Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain.

The Embassy of Iran in India, in a post on X, said, “Indian Dignitaries Pay Tribute to the Martyred Leader of Iran, His Eminence Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.”

The embassy also posted photographs featuring People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti, Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who heads the party’s foreign affairs department, and several other attendees.

Russia also sent a high-level delegation to the ceremony. According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev arrived in Tehran to participate in the funeral events. The ministry confirmed his visit through a statement posted on X.

Iran’s state broadcaster Press TV reported that the ceremony at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla Prayer Grounds was attended by the country’s top political and judicial leadership, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Judiciary Chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni Eje’i and Expediency Council Chairman Ayatollah Sadegh Amoli Larijani.

Several international leaders and senior representatives also attended the ceremony. According to Press TV, the gathering included Turkmenistan People’s Council Chairman Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani.

Delegations from numerous other countries were also present, including parliamentary speakers from Iraq, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kyrgyzstan. Foreign ministers from Nicaragua, Congo and Burkina Faso, Egypt’s Senate president, the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement and the Speaker of Oman’s Parliament were among the attendees.

The ceremony also witnessed the participation of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Secretary General Nurlan Yermekbayev, senior representatives of the D-8 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Al Khereiji, Dmitry Medvedev and several other international delegations.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the event had attracted extensive international participation. According to him, at least eight heads of government, including presidents and prime ministers, along with parliamentary speakers from 12 countries, were expected to attend.

He added that many other nations were represented by foreign ministers, cabinet ministers or special envoys, while public figures and delegations from nearly 100 countries were also participating.

Baghaei further stated that lawmakers and public representatives from several Eastern European countries had joined the ceremonies. However, he said countries that had officially backed the military action by Israel and the United States against Iran were not invited.

Press TV described the funeral as one of the largest international gatherings held in Iran in recent years. Iranian officials estimate that between 15 and 20 million people could participate in the multi-day mourning ceremonies.

Additional ceremonies are scheduled in Qom, Baghdad, Karbala and Najaf, with the final burial planned in Mashhad on July 9.

Caracas, July 3: Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez said that the earthquakes had killed 2,595 people and injured more than 12,000 others, and destroyed 189 buildings in the country.

Rodriguez, who also heads the command centre for the creation of temporary camps, earlier called on health workers, security personnel and firefighters to register on the Patria platform in order to address housing problems caused by the earthquakes.

He said 25 temporary camps were active, including 13 in La Guaira, eight in Caracas, two in Miranda, one in Carabobo and one in Yaracuy.

Rodriguez said authorities were moving quickly to equip the camps and transfer affected people there.

Since June 24, Venezuela has recorded 782 aftershocks, though their frequency and magnitude have decreased, he said.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez has declared seven days of national mourning in tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

“In honour of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven (7) days, starting at 6:00 p.m. today,” Rodriguez wrote in a statement posted on social media on Wednesday (local time).

She said that “in these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them.”

“Venezuela’s soul is torn by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes,” Rodriguez added.

Two earthquakes measuring magnitude 7.5 and 7.2 struck north of Caracas last week. Authorities said that tens of thousands still missing.

Earlier on Thursday, Rodriguez has declared seven days of national mourning in tribute to the victims of the powerful earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

“In honour of the memory of the victims, I have decided to decree National Mourning for seven (7) days, starting at 6:00 p.m. today,” Rodriguez wrote in a statement posted on social media on Wednesday (local time).

She said that “in these moments of profound sadness, we embrace those who suffer from this tragedy and reaffirm our commitment to accompany and protect them.”

Washington, July 3: US President Donald Trump said that Iran had agreed to “just about everything we need” in negotiations over its nuclear programme, while insisting that Tehran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon.

Speaking in an interview with CNBC, Trump said his administration remained focused on preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and expressed confidence that ongoing negotiations were moving in Washington’s favour.

“We’re negotiating, and we’ll see whether or not. I think they’ve agreed to just about everything we need,” Trump said.

He described the US objective as “the denuking of Iran” rather than a conventional military campaign.

“This is the denuking of Iran. You can’t let them have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said.

Asked whether he was seeking regime change in Tehran, Trump said that was not his goal.

“I’m not looking for regime change. I’m looking for something very simple. They cannot have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said US military operations had significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities since he returned to office.

“I’ve defeated them militarily. They’re totally defeated militarily. They have some missiles left, we could wipe them out too.”

He said the United States had carried out repeated strikes in response to Iranian actions.

“I hit them three times last week very hard, because they sent a drone into a ship. I hit them. Then they did something else, and I hit them. I hit them three nights in a row, the week before I hit them two nights in a row, very hard.”

Trump also said the United States had enforced what he described as a naval blockade to increase pressure on Tehran.

“I did a blockade that was essentially not a blockade, it was a wall of steel. We have the great Navy, the greatest navy in the world. Not one ship got through to Iran.”

He argued that the campaign had sharply reduced Iran’s economic strength.

“They have 300 per cent inflation, they’re making no money.”

Trump said Washington could eventually become a supplier of agricultural products to Iran if negotiations produced an agreement.

“We’re going to take some of the money, and we’re going to buy them. They need food. They need corn, and wheat, and soybeans, and we’re going to have exclusively our American farmers provide that. Assuming we get to the position where we should get to.”

The President also defended his administration’s handling of the Strait of Hormuz, saying US naval operations helped prevent a sharp rise in global oil prices.

“Every night, we were taking ships out through the South… We escorted them out, and nobody knew.”

Trump said maintaining oil supplies was essential to preventing a global economic shock.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful civilian purposes, while the United States and several Western countries have long sought to prevent Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.