Iranian women hold a pictures of former Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in May at Imam Khomeini Mosque in Tehran, Iran. Talks between the United States and Iran have paused for Khamenei’s funeral, which starts Saturday. Photo by Behnam Tofighi/UPI | License Photo
Negotiations between the United States and Iran have paused as Iran prepares for a multiday funeral for its former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Mediators from Qatar and Pakistan said Thursday that talks will resume “at the earliest possible time” after the funeral, which will run from Saturday through July 9, CBS News reported.
Khamenei died in the U.S.-led strikes Feb. 28. CNN reported that Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, called on Iranians Thursday to attend Khamenei’s funeral “in large numbers.” The country expects attendance at the funeral to range from 15 million to 20 million people, with representatives from 30 countries.
“This martyrdom is not the end of the journey, but the beginning of a new chapter of national unity, resilience and progress,” Pezeshkian said. He said that Khamenei’s death demonstrated “this system rests on the firm foundations of faith, ideals and the will of a great nation.”
Meanwhile, Iranian military leaders warned the United States and Israel that any attacks during the funeral will result in “harsh and regret-inducing responses.”
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that there was progress in indirect talks in Doha, Qatar, adding “the denuclearization of Iran is moving along well,” CNN reported. Qatari and Pakistani negotiators also said there was “positive progress.”
However, on the same day, Vice President JD Vance said talks are going well, but he would not rule out a return to full-scale military action, CBS News reported. He said it’s in Iran’s hands.
“Obviously, it depends on what the Iranians are ultimately going to do,” Vance said after speaking to Marines at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia. “As I said up there, what I can commit to is the president’s not going to send our military back in unless he has to, unless there’s a clearly defined purpose for it.”
Al Jazeera has reported that Iran’s new supreme leader, Khamenei’s son Mojtaba Khamenei, will not attend the funeral because of security concerns. Israel Katz, Israel’s defense minister, recently said the new leader was “marked for death.”
