Iran's dual track: funeral spectacle and media muzzle
A secret directive to Iran's media to silence dissent emerges as the regime prepares for Khamenei's million-person funeral.
Iran's dual track: funeral spectacle and media muzzle — Ahead of the funeral of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran's Supreme National Security Council distributed a secret document instructing media to silence political disputes and remove diplomatic contacts from public discourse. The directive signals a regime intent on projecting unity during a week of massive processions expected to draw 15 to 20 million people, with 67,000 Red Crescent personnel on standby. The organizing committee's spokesman, Iman Attar Zadeh, said 14,000 journalists, including more than 900 foreigners, will cover the event.[^1] Yet beneath the choreographed mourning, power struggles are surfacing. Mojtaba Khamenei, Iran's leader, decided not to extend the term of Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje'i as head of the judiciary, breaking a four-decade tradition of two-term appointments.[^2] This move consolidates Mojtaba's authority as he reshapes power centers. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted stinging messages on social media during ongoing indirect talks with the US in Doha, suggesting Tehran is using brinkmanship to pressure Washington into concessions.[^3] The US has announced a review of military cooperation with Saudi Arabia after Riyadh refused to grant access for the operation in the Strait of Hormuz, further complicating the regional landscape.[^4] The funeral itself, starting Saturday and culminating in burial in Mashhad on July 9, will be a test of the regime's organizational capacity and its ability to channel public grief into political mobilization. The slogan "Revenge" has been prominent, but the secret media directive hints at anxiety about internal dissent. Defense chief warns of arms procurement delays as IDF presses Gaza operations — Israel's Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram warned at the Herzliya Conference that bureaucratic red tape from the Finance Ministry is causing critical delays in arms procurement, describing the situation as a "road of risk."[^1] Baram accused ministry officials of treating the consequences of military reality as a "passing accounting event," even as the defense establishment demands a budget increase to $188 billi