Assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to be buried in early July

The funeral of slain Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will be held in July, Iran's state news agency reported today.

The funeral and farewell ceremony will be held between July 4 and 9, Iranian state television IRIB reported.

Khamenei was assassinated at the very beginning of the Israeli-US conflict with Iran in late February.

His son Mojtaba, who is considered even less inclined to compromise, was elected as the new Supreme Leader.

Pakistani mediators in negotiations between Washington and Tehran claim that an agreement to end the war is close.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said today that an agreement aimed at ending the war in the Middle East is closer than ever before and is expected to be finalized within 24 hours.

Pakistan is preparing for the electronic signing of the agreement, followed immediately by technical-level talks next week.

"We would like to thank the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran for their continued commitment during the negotiations and express our sincere gratitude to our brothers in the region for their support," Sharif said in a post on the X social network.

The progress in the talks came after Iran exchanged fire with the US and Israel over three days this week, threatening to push the Middle East into full-scale war.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday at the IX that the agreement had "never been closer."

US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly said in recent weeks that the countries are on the verge of an agreement, shared Aragchi's post on his Twitter account.

The war between Iran, Israel and the US that began on February 28th rocked the Middle East and virtually halted the transport of oil and natural gas through the Persian Gulf.

A fragile ceasefire has been in effect since April 7th.

Three unnamed regional officials told The Associated Press they expect the agreement to be signed in the coming days, after officials in Washington and Tehran approve it.

Trump claimed on Thursday that significant progress had been made in the negotiations, just hours after he threatened to escalate the attack and seize the island of Kharg, crucial for the transport of Iranian oil.

Khamenei's funeral is expected to begin in Tehran.

The procession carrying his body will go to Qom, the stronghold of many Shiite religious dignitaries, and then to his birthplace of Mashhad, where he will be buried at the Imam Reza shrine, considered the holiest site among Shiite believers.

The funeral of Khamenei's daughter and son-in-law, who were killed along with him, will be held on the same day.

Khamenei has dramatically reshaped the Islamic Republic since taking power after the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

Khomeini was a fiery, charismatic ideologue who led the Islamic Revolution and the overthrow of the Shah, establishing the rule of Shiite mullahs.

In the end, Khamenei ruled much longer than Khomeini.

He significantly strengthened the influence of Shiite Islam and turned the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard into the most important body supporting his rule.

The Guard has become a military and business giant, the country's most elite force and guardian of the ballistic missile arsenal, with influence over all sectors of Iran's economy.