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Iran readies Khamenei funeral as U.S. talks pause, general surfaces

Iran is staging a dayslong funeral for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei while U.S.-Iran talks pause and senior hard-liners reappear in public. The ceremonies are doubling as a test of regime strength during a fragile negotiating window.

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Iran prepares for dayslong funeral for late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in war

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Iran readies Khamenei funeral as U.S. talks pause, general surfaces
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A state funeral becomes a power test

Iran is preparing a dayslong public farewell for Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose flag-draped coffin was displayed Friday at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla alongside relatives killed in the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes of the war on Feb. 28.apnews Authorities expect millions in the capital beginning Saturday, with streets, airspace and daily life set to be shut down as the body is moved through Iran and Iraq before burial in Mashhad.apnews +1

The ceremonies are more than a delayed burial for the 86-year-old cleric who dominated Iran for decades. They are a test of whether the Islamic Republic, battered by war and recent protests, can still summon a mass show of loyalty while senior figures face the risk of renewed Israeli strikes.abcnews

Diplomacy moves around the procession

Indirect U.S.-Iran talks are pausing for at least a week around the funeral, after Qatar and Pakistan said meetings in Doha made “positive progress” on issues tied to a June ceasefire memorandum.cbsnews The next meeting is expected only after the funeral processions, keeping the 60-day negotiating window under pressure as the two sides argue over the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief and when to address Iran’s nuclear program.cbsnews

That sequencing matters because both sides appear to be prioritizing control and reopening of the strait before the harder nuclear file. A Carnegie Middle East Program scholar told CBS the talks seemed focused on Hormuz administration and unfreezing Iranian assets, while deeper nuclear negotiations had not yet been tackled in detail.cbsnews

Hard-liners reappear in public

The funeral has also brought Gen. Ahmad Vahidi, a senior Revolutionary Guard figure, back into public view for the first time in months.apnews +1 Iranian state media photos showed him at a funeral planning meeting and beside Khamenei’s casket; AP reported he has become a key voice in shaping Tehran’s hard line in talks with Washington.apnews

Security around the Grand Mosalla is tight, with permits required near the complex and emergency crews staged for crowds expected in extreme heat.timesofisrael The symbolism is deliberately martial: red flags, banners invoking vengeance and images of Khamenei with a raised fist are meant to turn mourning into a political signal.timesofisrael

Succession remains hidden from view

One unresolved question is whether Mojtaba Khamenei, the slain leader’s son and successor, will appear publicly during the rites.apnews +1 ABC reported he remains in hiding after reportedly being wounded in the strike that killed his father, even as his absence leaves Iran projecting continuity through ceremony rather than direct visibility from its new supreme leader.abcnews