Key development: Iran just announced the Doha talks with the US are over, even as Trump claims his team made progress on denuclearization.
Diplomacy
(Update) Iran says the indirect talks with the US in Doha have wrapped up, while Trump claims progress on denuclearization. The two sides describe the same talks very differently. (France24)
Context: These were indirect negotiations happening in Qatar. The US side says they had “good meetings” and are making headway on getting Iran to denuclearize. Iran’s deputy foreign minister announced the talks have concluded—at least for now. Both sides had previously agreed to establish a communication channel by Thursday to report and document violations of their initial memorandum of understanding, indicating some concrete outcome despite the divergent characterizations.
Sources: France24
Inside Iran
(Update) Iran’s holding Khamenei’s funeral on July 4, expecting between 15 and 20 million mourners. He was killed in a US-Israeli strike back in February. (France24)
Context: Ali Khamenei was Iran’s Supreme Leader before he was assassinated in a joint US-Israeli operation in February 2026. Iranian authorities say they’re preparing for somewhere between 15 and 20 million people to attend the funeral ceremonies. Earlier reports confirmed hundreds of thousands already turned out for the procession. The week-long funeral ceremonies begin July 4 in Tehran and conclude July 9 in Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad.
Sources: France24
Economy
(Update) Iran’s actually going through with charging fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. They’re promising special treatment for “friendly” countries, despite US pushback. (Al Jazeera)
Context: Iran’s ambassador to China confirmed they’re implementing a new fee system for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz—one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints. The US has objected, but Iran says countries it considers friendly will get preferential rates. This moves the policy from threat to actual implementation.
Sources: Al Jazeera
What to watch: Whether Iran actually starts collecting those Hormuz transit fees and how the US responds when the first ship gets billed.