Iran mourns Khamenei as US strikes continue and Strait of Hormuz tensions rise

Bodies of former Supreme Leader arrive in Mashhad amid chants for Trump's killing, while Iran presses Gulf states over shipping lane.

Iran mourns Khamenei as US strikes continue and Strait of Hormuz tensions rise — Trucks carrying the bodies of former Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and his family arrived in Mashhad on Thursday for burial, as crowds chanted, "I swear by the blood of the Supreme Leader, Trump, we will kill you!"[^1] The funeral unfolded against a backdrop of sustained US military pressure: a US source told Vesty that the US is not currently striking Iran, but the broader campaign continues, and the US has imposed strict controls on commercial satellite imagery of Iran and neighboring regions during the war.[^2][^3] Iran is simultaneously escalating its campaign to control the Strait of Hormuz, using military coercion to force Gulf states to accept its administration over the vital waterway, according to a new assessment by the Institute for the Study of War.[^4] Most attacked Gulf states remain on the defensive, while Iran is on the offensive. Jordan, despite a missile attack, still supports a diplomatic solution to tensions with Iran, signaling the region's fractured response.[^5] Meanwhile, the internal Iranian leadership is reportedly experiencing a serious split over how to deal with the US, as reports of an explosion in the city of Chabahar add to the sense of instability.[^6][^7] Khamenei's son and successor Mojtaba remains hidden from public view after reportedly being disfigured, deepening uncertainty about succession.[^1] The question now is whether the US-Iran conflict can be urgently resolved, or whether the region is sliding toward a wider war that neither side can easily control.[^8] IDF maintains operational tempo across fronts as US-Iran strikes continue — IDF officials said Thursday they do not expect Israel to be drawn into the current round of US-Iran fighting, even as American forces struck approximately 90 sites in southern Iran.[^1] The assessment reflects a rare convergence of interests: Washington has asked Israel to stay out, Gulf states oppose escalation, and Iranian leaders appear to want to avoid a two-front conflict. The calculus could shift if hostilities expand, but for now the military is treating the US campaign as a separate theater. O