This live blog follows the latest developments across the Middle East crisis, including regional diplomacy, maritime security, ceasefire negotiations, and economic fallout.
Catch up: Yesterday’s top developments
- Late supreme leader's wisdom will be remembered for generations: Pakistan PM
- France, UK ready to deploy militaries to support transit in Strait of Hormuz
- PM Sharif, CDF Munir attend Iran's late supreme leader’s funeral ceremony
- Iran envoy says friendly nations to get 'special' Hormuz fee treatment
- Lebanese president urges US to 'keep standing' by country
Hundreds of villagers seek refuge in Lebanese school: Report
Published: July 5, 2026 | 22:50 GMT | by Web Desk
Hundreds of people in Lebanon still cannot return home despite a so-called ceasefire taking effect in mid-June, Al Jazeera reported.
According to it, more than 250 people from Majdal Zoun have sought refuge in an empty school in the city of Tyre because of Israel’s continued occupation of their village.
The mayor, Youssef Shihimi, told Al Jazeera that 74 families, including his own, were living in the school temporarily.
Palestinian ministry says Israeli forces kill teen in West Bank
Published: July 5, 2026 | 20:21 GMT | by AFP
The Palestinian health ministry said Israeli forces fatally shot a 16-year-old boy in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, the second reported killing of a Palestinian teenager within a week.
Two other boys, both aged 14, were injured in the incident at the Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah, the ministry said.
"Sixteen year old Waleed Nidal Waleed Abu Sneineh was pronounced dead after being shot by Israeli forces," the ministry said.
"Two other children sustained gunshot wounds to... lower limbs in the same incident."
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
MoU implementation difficult but possible: Ghalibaf
Published: July 5, 2026 | 18:55 GMT | by Web Desk
Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said that Tehran remained at odds with Washington despite signing the Islamabad MoU, the implementation of which he said was "difficult but achievable."
According to Iran's semi-official Press TV, Ghalibaf made the remarks in a meeting on Sunday with Mohammad Darwish, head of the leadership council of the Hamas resistance movement, who was visiting Tehran to take part in the funeral ceremonies of the late Khamenei.
“We have no peace with the United States, and we will not recognize Israel,” he said.
Netanyahu says some Lebanese Christian villages 'asked to be annexed' by Israel
Published: July 5, 2026 | 16:55 GMT | by AFP
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had asked to be annexed by Israel, in order to be protected from Hezbollah militants.
"Christian villages in Lebanon, some of them have actually asked to be annexed to Israel, because we protect them against the Hezbollah, Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them, and we do the same things with Christians everywhere," Netanyahu told Fox News's show, The Sunday Briefing
Israel army chief vows to act 'decisively' against Hezbollah in south Lebanon
Published: July 5, 2026 | 14:31 GMT | by AFP
Israel's military chief visited forces deployed around Beaufort castle in southern Lebanon on Sunday, vowing to push ahead with the campaign against Hezbollah.
"The IDF will continue to operate decisively to remove threats from Lebanese territory and is prepared to transition rapidly to offensive operations should the ceasefire be violated," Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir told soldiers during the visit, according to a statement issued by the military.
OPEC+ increases production quotas for August
Published: July 5, 2026 | 10:25 GMT | by Web Desk
OPEC+ ministers decided Sunday to increase oil quotas by a total of 188,000 barrels per day for August, a similar increase to others agreed in recent months, the organization announced.
Ministers from Saudi Arabia, Russia, Iraq, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Algeria, and Oman held virtual talks and "decided to implement a production adjustment of 188 thousand barrels per day," an OPEC statement said, adding that "this adjustment will be implemented in August 2026".
Stand with Iran's brave leadership, says former IIOJK CM Mehbooba Mufti
Published: July 5, 2026 | 10:01 GMT | by Web Desk
Former chief minister of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) Mehbooba Mufti in a post on X on Sunday expressed solidarity with the Iranian people and the government while departing the Iranian capital.
She wrote on X, "As I depart from Tehran my thoughts are with it’s brave leadership & resilient people in this moment of profound loss and grief."
"We will always stand with you." "Deepest gratitude to the Iranian government for being such gracious & warm hosts. It’s been an honour to be here," she wrote.
Tehran metro records over 7M trips for Khamenei farewell ceremony
Published: July 5, 2026 | 09:31 GMT | by Web Desk
More than seven million passenger journeys were recorded on Tehran's metro system between 5:30pm (14:00 GMT) on Saturday and 7am (03:30 GMT) on Sunday, Al Jazeera reported, citing data from the semiofficial Tasnim News Agency.
The surge in metro use comes as mourners gather for the funeral of the assassinated supreme leader and members of his family at the Imam Khomeini Mosalla in Tehran, with the ceremony set to continue until 8pm (16:30 GMT).
Tasnim said event organizers have encouraged those attending the funeral to travel to the venue by metro.
Prayer held for Khamenei’s 14-month-old granddaughter
Published: July 5, 2026 | 06:10 GMT | by Web Desk
Funeral prayers were held on Sunday for four relatives of the assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei who were killed in the joint US-Israeli strike on Feb. 28, according to Al Jazeera.
Among the victims was his 14-month-old granddaughter, Zahra Mohammadi Golpayegani.
Video shared by Tasnim News Agency showed her small coffin placed next to her grandfather's during the funeral ceremony.
The agency also reported that her father, Mohammad Javad Mohammadi Golpayegani, attended the prayers.
Zahra's mother, Boshra Khamenei, was also among those killed in the same strike.
Prayers offered for Iran's Khamenei on day two of funeral ceremonies
Published: July 5, 2026 | 05:41 GMT | by AFP
Prayers were held Sunday over the casket of Iran's late supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the second day of funeral ceremonies that have drawn huge crowds to pay their final respects in Tehran.
Khamenei served as the supreme leader of Iran from 1989 until he was assassinated aged 86 in an airstrike on the first day of the US-Israeli war with Iran on Feb. 28.
Sunday's service at Tehran's Grand Mosalla complex was led by prominent Shia cleric Ja'far Sobhani, a 97-year-old scholar who teaches in seminaries at the holy city of Qom.
Sunday was declared a public holiday across Iran, and later in the day, Khamenei's body will be moved from the Grand Mosalla complex where it is lying in state in preparation for processions through the capital on Monday.
OPEC+ tipped to raise quotas again as Middle East calms
Published: July 5, 2026 | 05:01 GMT | by Web Desk
Seven OPEC+ members are likely to raise oil production quotas on Sunday as Gulf countries are reeling from the Middle East war, analysts told AFP.
Saudi Arabia, Russia and five other members of the enlarged Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC+) are meeting online on Sunday to discuss quotas for August.
OPEC+ will likely continue "to unwind the production cuts at the same pace like in the previous months", said Giovanni Staunovo, a commodity analyst at the Swiss bank UBS, predicting an increase of 188,000 barrels per day.
"But for now, production is probably still below the group's targets," Staunovo told AFP. Gulf countries had to cut output after the near-paralysis of the Strait of Hormuz.
Funeral prayers for Khamenei set to take place in Tehran
Published: July 5, 2026 | 04:51 GMT | by Web Desk
Funeral prayers for assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and four of his family members are scheduled to take place in Tehran this morning, Al Jazeera reported, quoting Tasnim News Agency.
The ceremony will be held at the Imam Khomeini Grand Musalla, where the former leader's body has remained in state since Saturday, allowing the public to pay their respects during official mourning and farewell events.
Tasnim stated that the main courtyard of the Musalla had reached full capacity several hours before the congregational prayers were due to begin.
After the prayer service, funeral processions are planned in Tehran on Monday, followed by another procession in the holy city of Qom on Tuesday.
Khamenei's body will then be transported by air to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala for additional funeral rites before being returned to the Iranian city of Mashhad for burial on Thursday.
Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon continue
Published: July 5, 2026 | 16:05 GMT | by AFP
Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reports that Israeli attacks have hit the towns of al-Mansouri and Tallousah in the last few hours, Al Jazeera reported.
These attacks come despite the framework agreement signed late last month by Israel, Lebanon and the US, meant to solidify the shaky ceasefire in place between Israel and Hezbollah.
Erdogan praises Pakistan's Islamabad MoU efforts
Published: July 4, 2026 | 16:05 GMT | by Web Desk
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday congratulated Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the people of Pakistan for their role in advancing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, saying their "invaluable efforts played a major role in achieving this outcome."
Addressing a joint press stakeout in Istanbul, Erdogan reaffirmed Türkiye's support for diplomacy, saying, "We too have supported and continue to support every step that will help to reduce tensions in our region and resolve issues through diplomatic means."
He also slammed Israel for fueling regional instability, saying the "war-addicted Israeli government" must not be allowed to "once again engulf our region in the smell of gunpowder and blood."
PM Sharif thanked Türkiye for its "strong and steadfast support" for Pakistan's peace efforts, saying they had "culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding," while reaffirming with Erdogan that "dialogue, diplomacy and mutual respect remain the only sustainable path" to resolving disputes.
For earlier developments, read our July 4 live blog here