Tehran schedules Khamenei funeral procession to last up to 12 hours, official says

Pakistan bought a liquefied natural gas shipment for delivery as exports from Qatar through the Strait of Hormuz remain constrained, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

TotalEnergies sold a cargo for July 10-11 delivery to state-owned Pakistan LNG for $17.37 per million British thermal units, the report said, citing traders familiar with the matter.

The purchase was Pakistan’s second spot gas procurement in two weeks as Islamabad sought to replace canceled Qatari supplies stuck in the Persian Gulf, it added.

LNG traffic through Hormuz has increased since the US and Iran signed an interim agreement, but flows have not yet returned to pre-war levels, according to the report.

IRGC-linked Fars News described crowds gathering in Tehran in the early hours of the third day of Ali Khamenei’s funeral ceremonies with the headline: “Everyone has come, carrying the red flags of revenge.”

The phrase refers to red flags used in Shiite symbolism that are often associated with calls for vengeance.

The funeral ceremonies for the former Supreme Leader have been marked by repeated demands from officials, state media and supporters for retaliation over his killing.

Iran’s Parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has described the memorandum of understanding with the United States as an achievement for Tehran’s “axis of resistance” during a meeting with a senior Houthi official.

“The United States and Israel were forced to practically recognise Iran’s allies in the axis of resistance, and this is one of the achievements of this memorandum,” Ghalibaf said during talks with Mohammed Al-Nuaimi, vice chairman of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council.

He added that successful diplomacy requires military strength, warning that the US and Israel would “resort to war” if they sensed weakness from Iran.

The latest Statistical Review of World Energy published by the Energy Institute paints a troubling picture of Iran’s energy sector: a country with some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves is increasingly struggling to meet its own energy needs.

The report shows a sharp slowdown in the growth of electricity generation and natural gas production at a time when Iran faces widening shortages of both.

Iran’s energy demand has continued to rise, driven by population growth, industrial consumption and heavily subsidized domestic prices. Analysts estimate the country needs annual increases of around 7% in electricity generation and 5% in natural gas production simply to keep pace with demand.

Years of underinvestment, delayed infrastructure projects and international sanctions, however, have left supply lagging behind consumption, creating electricity and gas shortages exceeding 20% during peak periods.

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Iranian-Australian referee Alireza Faghani is taking charge of England’s World Cup knockout match against Mexico, months after becoming the target of attacks by Iranian state media over his appearance alongside Donald Trump.

Faghani, one of world football’s most prominent referees, moved to Australia in 2019 and has represented Australia internationally since 2023.

He made headlines in Iran last year after officiating the Club World Cup final and shaking hands with Trump during the medal ceremony.

IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency criticized him afterward, while Faghani posted photos from the tournament and said he was “grateful for the opportunity to once again be part of football history.”

Iranian/Judiciary-linked media later reported that his assets in Iran had been seized.