Khamenei's funeral pauses the shooting — but Hormuz and the nuclear talks don't wait for a burial. If you're catching up, the U.S.-Iran track has moved from Qatari-mediated talks to a 14-point memorandum of understanding — a framework that commits both sides to end military operations, negotiate a final deal within 60 days, reopen Hormuz, and move toward sanctions relief. How any of that actually gets implemented? Still unresolved. This is Iran War Daily. Geneva says progress, Tehran's slapping tolls on the strait, and two Brits are starving in a cell. Let's untangle what's real, and what's theater. We start in Geneva — Araqchi's exact words, and what the phrase guiding principles does and doesn't mean. We're staying on US-Iran deal negotiations — follow the show and you won't miss what comes next. Gulf News, with Lekshmy Pavithran; Balaram Menon; Jay Hilotin:
Huge crowds gathered in Tehran for the funeral ceremonies of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, killed in a US-Israeli strike on February 28. US President Donald Trump said both sides would avoid any hostilities during the proceedings, adding that talks with Iran would continue after the ceremonies.
Huge crowds in Tehran today at the Grand Mosalla for Khamenei's funeral. He was killed, per Gulf News, in that US-Israeli strike on February 28. Trump says both sides are holding fire through the rites, and talks continue after. A ceasefire for a funeral. Meanwhile, Gulf News reports ships turning back in Hormuz right now, and Iran's charging transit fees with a 'friendly nations' leniency tier. So the guns are quiet and the toll booth is open. Two tracks here — and note who's on each. Netanyahu says he spoke with Trump about a future meeting in the US, while the maritime disruption keeps building. The mourning is the headline; the fee schedule is the policy. And nobody in that Gulf News piece gives a number. Who qualifies as 'friendly,' what's the per-barrel charge, which underwriter is pricing that discretionary risk? Trump urges restraint — restraint doesn't reroute a tanker. This one's from DD News:
Iran and the United States reached an understanding on Tuesday on main “guiding principles” in talks aimed at resolving their longstanding nuclear dispute, but that does not mean a deal is imminent, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said.
Araqchi's wording out of Geneva, per DD News: an understanding on, quote, guiding principles, but he explicitly said a deal is not imminent. He's putting language on the table and managing expectations in the same breath. Guiding principles. And a U.S. official — unnamed, naturally — says Iran will bring detailed proposals in the next two weeks. So the substance is still a promissory note. The mediation matters here — this was indirect, with Witkoff and Kushner on one side, Araqchi on the other, and Oman's Badr al-Busaidi carrying it. And al-Busaidi's own read was, quote, much work is yet to be done. Here's the tell for me: Brent fell more than one percent the second Araqchi opened his mouth. The market priced this as marginally real — but it's pricing guiding principles, not a signed anything. And notice who stayed quiet — the White House didn't respond to questions on the meeting. So, on the record, we have Tehran's characterization and one anonymous U.S. official. That's the whole confirmed picture. From The Arabian Stories:
Washington: The talks follow the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on June 18, which set out a 60-day framework for Washington and Tehran to negotiate a broader agreement covering Iran’s nuclear programme, sanctions relief, maritime security and regional de-escalation. According to diplomatic sources quoted by Dawn, Pakistan and Qatar are continuing to mediate the process, with Islamabad emerging as the most likely venue for the next round of technical discussions.
Following up on that MOU track — negotiators now have a likely date. The Arabian Stories, citing Dawn, puts the next technical round on July 11 in Islamabad, with Pakistan and Qatar still mediating. The venue isn't locked — Switzerland's Burgenstock is still in the mix. And this is being framed as technical-level, not the political round, per those diplomatic sources. Technical-level. So the July 11 meeting sorts the plumbing while the June 18 MOU's 60-day clock keeps ticking — which means we're, what, already deep into that window before anyone touches the hard files? Right — the MOU set out nuclear, sanctions relief, maritime security, regional de-escalation. Islamabad on the 11th doesn't settle all four; it just means the process survived Khamenei's funeral ceremonies. And the burials run through July 9 in Mashhad. So mediators are penciling in a round two days after the final burial. That's an optimistic calendar for a state still in official mourning. This one's from Deccan Chronicle:
Iran has criticised a US-led CENTCOM security summit in Bahrain, rejecting Washington's role in safeguarding the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. US Central Command (CENTCOM) has convened a landmark regional security conference in Bahrain, bringing together military leaders from 12 nations, including unprecedented participation from Syria and Lebanon.
So Araqchi's in Geneva talking guiding principles one day, and the next he's on Twitter asking whether CENTCOM brought security or insecurity to the region. Pick a lane. That's Araqchi's July 2 post, per Deccan Chronicle. And note the summit's actual makeup — twelve nations in Manama, hosted by the Bahrain Defence Force, with Syria and Lebanon in the room for the first time. That lineup didn't exist before the war. Syria and Lebanon under a US air-defense umbrella — that's the thing Tehran cannot swallow. Washington's building a Hormuz security architecture on one track while Araqchi's shaking hands in Geneva on another. Somebody authorized both. And Iran's line is consistent, at least: regional security belongs to neighboring states, no outside interference. That's the same position behind rejecting the summit and charging its own transit fees at Hormuz. Tehran wants to be the toll operator, not a guest at Bahrain's table. Right. The gap between what Iran signed onto in Doha and what the US is actually doing in the Gulf now comes with a guest list and a host country. From The Independent:
Fears are growing for a British couple detained in Iran who have not eaten in nearly two months after their contact with family was cut off. Craig and Lindsay Foreman, both 53, have been on hunger strike for 55 and 46 days respectively in protest at their treatment inside Iran’s notorious Evin prison.
Craig and Lindsay Foreman are both 53. They've gone 55 and 46 days without food inside Evin prison, per The Independent, and now their contact with family has been cut off. UN human rights experts are calling the hunger strike a medical emergency. And this is the same week we heard Araqchi in Geneva talking guiding principles. Two British nationals starving in an Iranian jail — if hostage files are anywhere near that negotiating table, where's the movement? That's the tension I want to keep straight. Tehran is signaling flexibility on the nuclear track while holding these two on ten-year espionage charges they deny — arrested 18 months ago on a motorbike tour. Same government, same credibility problem. Their son, Joe Bennett, told The Independent his biggest concern is time. Every day brings them closer to organ damage. And the family's now drafting a letter begging them to stop — that's how bad it's gotten. We want this briefing to be useful and accurate. Send feedback, story ideas, or corrections anytime to iranwardaily at lantern podcasts dot com.
Next, we're watching Iran's final burial ceremony for Khamenei, expected in Mashhad on July 9. The next U.S.-Iran technical-level talks are expected on July 11, with Islamabad the most likely venue. And a U.S. official says Iran will offer detailed proposals in the next two weeks to narrow gaps in the nuclear talks.
Links to all the stories we covered are in the show notes, if you want to read further. That's Iran War Daily for today. This is a Lantern Podcast.