LIVEStrait tensions rise with new Iranian fees, ‘friendly’ nations promised leniencyLast updated: July 05, 2026 | 06:57Donald TrumpIsraelIranUS-Israel-Iran warMourners gather at the Grand Mosalla to pay their final respects to Iran's slain supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of his funeral ceremonies in Tehran on July 4, 2026.AFPHuge 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. In parallel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he spoke with Trump and discussed a future meeting in the US, while maritime tensions persisted in the Strait of Hormuz, where several ships reportedly turned back amid ongoing disruption. Follow our live updates:HighlightsSHOW MORE06:52 AM, 5 July 2026At least eight ships U-turn during Strait of Hormuz crossing attemptAt least eight vessels were forced to reverse course while attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, with tracking data indicating sudden U-turns as ships initially hugged the Omani coastline.According to MarineTraffic data cited by CNN, five of the vessels—including vehicle carriers, chemical and oil products tankers, and a bulk carrier—abandoned their crossings in the morning local time, underscoring continued disruption in the strategic waterway. The Strait, which typically handles around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, remains a flashpoint as Iran insists vessels require permission to pass through designated routes. However, increasing traffic is shifting toward the Omani side, seen as an attempt to avoid Iranian-controlled waters. In a separate development, three additional vessels that initially turned back later resumed transit, passing closer to the Iranian side of the strait.06:46 AM, 5 July 2026In pictures: Tehran mourners pay tribute to Khamenei Get updated faster and for FREE: Download the Gulf News app now - simply click here.06:46 AM, 5 July 2026Iran warns against foreign military presence in Hormuz StraitA senior Iranian diplomat warned that the Strait of Hormuz is not a "theater" for transregional powers' military display."Iran, as the responsible authority and guarantor of security in the strait, warns against any military movement in the sensitive waterway," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi wrote on social media platform X.The strait's security is the sole responsibility of Iran and Oman, Gharibabadi said, dismissing a joint statement on Friday by outgoing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, Xinhua news agency reported.In their statement, Starmer and Macron described the waterway as a "vital artery" for the global economy, adding, "Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the strait is a matter of global concern."They said Oman has agreed to work with Britain and France to ensure "its sovereign territorial waters are safe for navigation," stressing that Britain and France "also stand ready to deploy the wider Multinational Military Mission to support freedom of navigation" in the strait.Meanwhile, Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, citing the latest maritime tracking data, reported Saturday that eight vessels seeking to cross the waterway along the coast of Oman were turned back.Bloomberg reported the same day that some of the vessels "had made it as far as the tip of the Musandam Peninsula that sticks out into the chokepoint, before making sharp reversals.""One crude tanker, two products tankers, and one bulk carrier then sailed northward to take an outbound route" as directed by Iran, it reported.Iran has tightened its grip on the strait since February 28, when it barred safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory. 05:12 AM, 5 July 2026Trump says Netanyahu 'knows who the boss is'US President Donald Trump said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has requested a meeting at the White House that could take place as early as next week after his return from the NATO summit, Axios reported."We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is," Trump said in a brief phone interview with Axios, referring to himself.According to the report, the proposed meeting would be the first between the two leaders since their February meeting in the White House Situation Room, where Netanyahu presented a plan for a joint war against Iran.An Israeli official told Axios that next week could be too soon for the visit because of Trump's trip to Turkey for the NATO summit scheduled for July 7-8, adding, "It might take place the week after."The Israeli Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu called Trump on Friday to congratulate him on the 250th Independence Day of the United States."During their conversation, the Prime Minister said that the United States is a guarantor of global freedom, and that Israel greatly values the close relationship between the two nations. Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump agreed to meet soon in the United States," Netanyahu's office said.The report said people within Trump's inner circle have become increasingly sceptical of Netanyahu in the months following their February meeting."Many of Trump's closest advisers think that Bibi was wrong about everything," a US official told Axios.04:52 AM, 5 July 2026Iran’s Pezeshkian slams global silence over Israel actionsIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Saturday (local time) condemned Israel's actions in the region and criticised the United States for supporting them, alleging that the region has witnessed the targeted killing of intellectuals, scientists and other influential figures, IRNA reported.Speaking at the international conference "Imam Khamenei; The Eternal Leader of Resistance" in Tehran, he also questioned the effectiveness of international institutions, saying they had failed to prevent such actions despite claiming to uphold human rights, IRNA reported.Pezeshkian said that if "Muslim nations acted collectively, conflicts and humanitarian crises in Gaza, Lebanon and Palestine could not continue unchecked." He also warned that divisions among Islamic sects and ethnic groups create opportunities for external actors to exploit regional tensions, as reported by IRNA.03:46 AM, 5 July 2026Iranian FM expresses gratitude to over 70 nations for attending funeral